On Sunday Evening a Shallow M5.4 FORESHOCK struck in the North Pacific Ocean 178km from Morioka (Japan).

Written by Earthquakelist.org on March 8th, 2026. Last updated April 1st, 2026.

In the evening of Sunday March 8th, 2026, a shallow and significant Magnitude 5.4 foreshock hit in the North Pacific Ocean 178 kilometer from Morioka, Japan. Shaking may have been felt by a total of 2.6 million people.

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Earthquake Summary

This earthquake hit under water in the North Pacific Ocean, 125 kilometers (78 mi) off the coast of Japan, 178 kilometer east of Morioka in Iwate. The center of this earthquake had a very shallow depth of 16 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.

Date and Time:	Mar 8, 2026 22:08 (Tokyo Time) - Mar 8, 2026 13:08 Universal Time.
Location:	178 km east of Morioka, Iwate, Japan. Coordinates 39°23'10"N 143°11'10"E.
Map:	Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps.
Magnitude:	MAG 5.4 Detected by 23 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.065 .
Depth:	16 km (10 mi) A very shallow depth.
Max. Intensity:	IV Light On the Modified Mercalli Scale.
Tsunami Risk:	Low tsunami risk Earthquakes under MAG-6.5 do not usually cause tsunami's. Always stay cautious - More info here.

Minimal impact predicted

Based on scientific estimates by the US Geographic Survey (USGS), the risk of high fatalities for this earthquake is classified at level GREEN (low). They expect an 90% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 fatalities.

The USGS classifies the economic impact of this earthquake at level GREEN (low). They expect an 90% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 million US Dollars in economic damage and impact.

Roughly 2.6 million people exposed to shaking

An estimated 2.6 million have been exposed to shaking (An MMI or Modified Mercalli Intensity level II or higher) as a result of this earthquake according scientific estimates published by the USGS.

Weak shaking and probably no damage may have been experienced by an estimated 2,224,000 people. At III, it is the highest MMI level this earthquake has caused. All exposure to shaking was within the borders of Japan .

Nearby towns and cities

This earthquake may have been felt in Japan . The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Yamada in Iwate, Japan. Yamada is located 107 kilometer (66 mi) east of the epicenter. Yamada experienced an earthquake intensity (MMI Scale) of roughly IV. That level implies light shaking and likely no damage.

Multiple large cities are in proximity of today's earthquake. Sendai is located 236 km to the southwest (intensity unknown, possibly low). Morioka is located 178 km to the west and experienced an intensity of III (weak shaking, probably no damage). Hachinohe is located 190 km to the northwest and experienced an intensity of III (weak shaking, probably no damage).

A complete list of nearby places is included below. Estimated intensity data (MMI) sourced from a shake-map published by the US Geographic Survey is shown where available (cities without data probably experienced little impact).

Overview of nearby places

Earthquake Intensity Map

The graph below overlays a map of the region around the epicenter with earthquake intensity data provided by the US Geographic Survey. The highest intensity level detected for this earthquake is IV.

I Not felt

II Weak

III Weak

IV Light

V Moderate

VI Strong

VII Very Strong

VIII Severe

IX Violent

X Extreme

Shaking reported by 1 person

People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 1 person has reported shaking in one place in Japan.We keep updating this article as more ground reports become available. You may report that you felt this earthquake here.

Places with most reports:

• Sendai, Miyagi, Japan: 1 person.

This is likely a foreshock

This earthquake was followed by a stronger MAG-5.7 earthquake, classifying this earthquake as a foreshock.

Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks

More earthquakes coming?

Aftershocks are usually at least 1 order of magnitude less strong than main shocks. The more time passes, the smaller the chance and likely strength of any potential aftershocks.

In only six percent of cases, significant earthquakes are followed by a larger main shock, making the current earthquake a foreshock. While the chance of this happening is not so large, it is adviced to maintain cautiousness in the hours and days following a major earthquake.

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 December 31st, 2025, when a 6 magnitude earthquake hit 84 km (52 mi) further north. An even stronger magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck on December 8th, 2025.

In total, 90 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.4 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 month.

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

Sources

Last updated 01/04/26 01:08 (). This article is automatically generated based on available data. We keep checking multiple sources for additional information. This article gets updated as new details on this earthquake become available.

1. US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us7000s2z4
2. European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260308_0000200
3. Geonames.org: World Cities Database
4. Google Maps: Static API
5. Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database

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