In the evening of Tuesday December 2nd, 2025, a shallow and significant Magnitude 5.2 earthquake hit in the North Pacific Ocean 47 kilometer from Nemuro, Japan.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the North Pacific Ocean, 37 kilometers (23 mi) off the coast of Japan, 47 kilometer south-southeast of Nemuro in Hokkaido. The center of this earthquake had a very shallow depth of 24 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.
| Date and Time: | Dec 2, 2025 19:03 (Tokyo Time) - Dec 2, 2025 10:03 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 47 km SSE of Nemuro, Hokkaido, Japan. Coordinates 42°54'37"N 145°43'18"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.2 Detected by 502 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.026 . |
| Depth: | 24 km (15 mi) A very shallow depth. |
| Tsunami Risk: | Low tsunami risk Earthquakes under MAG-6.5 do not usually cause tsunami's. Always stay cautious - More info here. |
Nearby towns and cities
This earthquake may have been felt in Japan . Located 47 kilometer (29 mi) south-southeast of the epicenter of this earthquake, Nemuro (Hokkaido, Japan) is the nearest significant population center.
Major cities near this earthquake: Kushiro is located 110 km to the west. Asahikawa is located 288 km to the west-northwest. Obihiro is located 205 km to the west.
The table below provides an overview of all places in proximity of today's earthquake.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 47 km (29 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Nemuro Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 93 km (58 mi) NW from epicenter |
Nakashibetsu Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 96 km (60 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Shibetsu Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 110 km (68 mi) W from epicenter |
Kushiro Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 166 km (103 mi) NW from epicenter |
Motomachi Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 170 km (106 mi) NW from epicenter |
Abashiri Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 178 km (111 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Kitami Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 205 km (127 mi) W from epicenter |
Obihiro Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 205 km (127 mi) W from epicenter |
Otofuke Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 249 km (155 mi) NW from epicenter |
Mombetsu Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 275 km (171 mi) W from epicenter |
Shimo-furano Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 282 km (175 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Shizunai-furukawachō Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 288 km (179 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Asahikawa Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 294 km (183 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Ashibetsu Hokkaido, Japan. |
Risk of aftershocks?
We monitor for foreshocks or aftershocks that have a magnitude of 2.5+ and occur within 100km (62 mi) of the epicenter of this earthquake. So far no such earthquakes have been detected.
The risk of aftershocks decreases rapidly over time. Usually, aftershocks are at least one order of magnitude lower than a main shock.
The chance that a significant earthquake like this one is followed by an even larger earthquake is not so large. On average, scientists estimate a 94% chance that a major earthquake will not be followed by an even larger one. It is still adviced to be aware of this risk
Read: How to Stay Safe during an Earthquake (cdc.gov).Earthquakes like this happen often in the region
Earthquakes of this strength are very common in the region. This is the strongest earthquake to hit since October 24th, 2025, when a 5.7 magnitude earthquake hit 15 km (9 mi) further west-northwest. An even stronger magnitude 6.7 earthquake struck on January 14th, 2016.
In total, 48 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.2 or higher have been registered within 300km (186 mi) of this epicenter in the past 10 years. This comes down to an average of once every 3 months.
Low tsunami risk
Based on early data it appears this earthquake was not strong enough (lower than MAG-6.5) to be likely to cause destructive tsunami's. However this earthquake appeared to have hit at a shallow depth under sea, so stay cautious and monitor advice from local authorities.
Tsunami Risk Factors
| Factor | Under Sea? | MAG-6.5 or stronger? | Shallow depth? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Explanation | Almost all tsunami's are caused by earthquakes with their epicenter under sea or very near the sea. However stay cautious in coastal areas as earthquakes on land may cause landslides into sea, potentially still causing a local tsunami. | Under MAG 6.5: Very unlikely to cause a tsunami. MAG 6.5 to 7.5: Destructive tsunami's do occur, but are uncommon. Likely to observe small sea level changes. MAG 7.6+: Earthquakes with these magnitudes might produce destructive tsunami's. |
Most destructive tsunami's are caused by shallow earthquakes with a depth between 0 and 100km under the surface of the earth. Deeper tsunami's are unlikely to displace to ocean floor. |
| This Earthquake | This earthquake appears to have struck under the sea. | Not this earthquake. This earthquake had a magnitude of 5.2. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 24 km (15 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 14/12/25 11:08 (). As more information on this earthquake becomes available this article will be updated. This article is automatically composed based on data originating from multiple sources.
- US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us7000rf19
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20251202_0000152
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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