A shallow and significant M5.1 aftershock struck in the North Pacific Ocean 179 kilometer from Morioka, Japan just after midnight of Saturday March 28th, 2026.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the North Pacific Ocean, 126 kilometers (78 mi) off the coast of Japan, 179 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 28, 2026 00:24 (Tokyo Time) - Mar 27, 2026 15:24 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 179 km east of Morioka, Iwate, Japan. Coordinates 39°23'51"N 143°11'45"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.1 Detected by 83 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.062 . |
| Depth: | 16 km (10 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 . The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Yamada in Iwate, Japan. Yamada is located 107 kilometer (66 mi) east of the epicenter.
Major cities near this earthquake: Sendai is located 238 km to the southwest. Morioka is located 179 km to the west. Hachinohe is located 190 km to the northwest.
The table below provides an overview of all places in proximity of today's earthquake.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 107 km (66 mi) W from epicenter |
Yamada Iwate, Japan. |
| 111 km (69 mi) W from epicenter |
Miyako Iwate, Japan. |
| 115 km (71 mi) W from epicenter |
Kamaishi Iwate, Japan. |
| 132 km (82 mi) W from epicenter |
Ōfunato Iwate, Japan. |
| 143 km (89 mi) W from epicenter |
Tōno Iwate, Japan. |
| 179 km (111 mi) W from epicenter |
Kitakami Iwate, Japan. |
| 179 km (111 mi) W from epicenter |
Hanamaki Iwate, Japan. |
| 179 km (111 mi) W from epicenter |
Morioka Iwate, Japan. |
| 180 km (112 mi) W from epicenter |
Kanegasaki Iwate, Japan. |
| 180 km (112 mi) W from epicenter |
Mizusawa Iwate, Japan. |
| 186 km (116 mi) W from epicenter |
Ichinoseki Iwate, Japan. |
| 190 km (118 mi) NW from epicenter |
Hachinohe Aomori, Japan. |
| 192 km (119 mi) W from epicenter |
Shizukuishi Iwate, Japan. |
| 197 km (122 mi) SW from epicenter |
Ishinomaki Miyagi, Japan. |
| 202 km (126 mi) SW from epicenter |
Wakuya Miyagi, Japan. |
| 203 km (126 mi) SW from epicenter |
Yamoto Miyagi, Japan. |
| 208 km (129 mi) SW from epicenter |
Kogota Miyagi, Japan. |
| 210 km (130 mi) NW from epicenter |
Misawa Aomori, Japan. |
| 214 km (133 mi) SW from epicenter |
Furukawa Miyagi, Japan. |
| 217 km (135 mi) SW from epicenter |
Matsushima Miyagi, Japan. |
| 222 km (138 mi) SW from epicenter |
Shiogama Miyagi, Japan. |
| 224 km (139 mi) NW from epicenter |
Hanawa Akita, Japan. |
| 226 km (140 mi) SW from epicenter |
Rifu Miyagi, Japan. |
| 228 km (142 mi) W from epicenter |
Yokote Akita, Japan. |
| 229 km (142 mi) SW from epicenter |
Tomiya Miyagi, Japan. |
| 233 km (145 mi) W from epicenter |
Yuzawa Akita, Japan. |
| 233 km (145 mi) W from epicenter |
Ōmagari Akita, Japan. |
| 238 km (148 mi) SW from epicenter |
Sendai Miyagi, Japan. |
| 245 km (152 mi) NW from epicenter |
Ōdate Akita, Japan. |
| 248 km (154 mi) SW from epicenter |
Iwanuma Miyagi, Japan. |
| 254 km (158 mi) SW from epicenter |
Watari Miyagi, Japan. |
| 257 km (160 mi) W from epicenter |
Obanazawa Yamagata, Japan. |
| 259 km (161 mi) W from epicenter |
Takanosu Akita, Japan. |
| 260 km (162 mi) W from epicenter |
Shinjō Yamagata, Japan. |
| 261 km (162 mi) SW from epicenter |
Ōkawara Miyagi, Japan. |
| 262 km (163 mi) NW from epicenter |
Aomori Aomori, Japan. |
| 262 km (163 mi) NW from epicenter |
Kuroishi Aomori, Japan. |
| 263 km (163 mi) SW from epicenter |
Kakuda Miyagi, Japan. |
| 264 km (164 mi) SW from epicenter |
Higashine Yamagata, Japan. |
| 266 km (165 mi) W from epicenter |
Akita Akita, Japan. |
| 267 km (166 mi) NW from epicenter |
Hirosaki Aomori, Japan. |
| 269 km (167 mi) NW from epicenter |
Mutsu Aomori, Japan. |
| 271 km (168 mi) SW from epicenter |
Tendō Yamagata, Japan. |
| 272 km (169 mi) SW from epicenter |
Shiroishi Miyagi, Japan. |
| 277 km (172 mi) SW from epicenter |
Yamagata Yamagata, Japan. |
| 277 km (172 mi) SW from epicenter |
Sagae Yamagata, Japan. |
| 282 km (175 mi) NW from epicenter |
Goshogawara Aomori, Japan. |
| 285 km (177 mi) W from epicenter |
Noshiro Akita, Japan. |
| 289 km (180 mi) SW from epicenter |
Kaminoyama Yamagata, Japan. |
| 293 km (182 mi) W from epicenter |
Sakata Yamagata, Japan. |
| 300 km (186 mi) SW from epicenter |
Fukushima Fukushima, Japan. |
This is likely an aftershock
This earthquake was an aftershock. A larger mag. 6.5 earthquake struck 16 km (10 mi) east in advance of this 5.1 earthquake around 1 day earlier.
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreshock | M 4.6 |
5 hrs earlier Mar 26, 2026 17:51 (Tokyo Time) | 17 km (10 mi) W from Main Shock. |
| Main Shock | M 6.5 |
Mar 26, 2026 23:18 (Tokyo Time) | - |
| Aftershock | M 4.6 |
18 mins later Mar 26, 2026 23:37 (Tokyo Time) | 16 km (10 mi) W from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.6 |
28 mins later Mar 26, 2026 23:47 (Tokyo Time) | 8 km (5 mi) SE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.5 |
52 mins later Mar 27, 2026 00:10 (Tokyo Time) | 10 km (6 mi) NW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.6 |
2 hrs later Mar 27, 2026 00:59 (Tokyo Time) | 16 km (10 mi) N from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.8 |
2 hrs later Mar 27, 2026 01:20 (Tokyo Time) | 17 km (11 mi) N from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.6 |
3 hrs later Mar 27, 2026 01:55 (Tokyo Time) | 12 km (8 mi) NE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.9 |
6 hrs later Mar 27, 2026 04:56 (Tokyo Time) | 7 km (4 mi) SE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock This Earthquake |
M 5.1 |
1 day later Mar 28, 2026 00:24 (Tokyo Time) | 16 km (10 mi) W from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.2 |
1 day later Mar 28, 2026 01:38 (Tokyo Time) | 32 km (20 mi) N from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.5 |
3 days later Mar 30, 2026 08:47 (Tokyo Time) | 92 km (57 mi) W from Main Shock. |
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.
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. In total, 157 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.1 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 23 days.
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 5.1. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 16 km (10 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 31/03/26 15:18 (). 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 us7000s83k
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260327_0000264
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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