A significant MAG-5.0 aftershock struck in the North Pacific Ocean 99 kilometer from Miyako, 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, 112 kilometers (69 mi) off the coast of Japan, 99 kilometer east of Miyako in Iwate. The center of this earthquake had a quite shallow depth of 42 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: | 99 km east of Miyako, Iwate, Japan. Coordinates 39°29'19"N 143°4'21"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.0 Detected by 142 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.047 . |
| Depth: | 42 km (26 mi) A quite 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 96 kilometer (60 mi) east of the epicenter.
Multiple large cities are in proximity of today's earthquake. Sendai is located 234 km to the southwest. Morioka is located 166 km to the west. Hachinohe is located 175 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 |
|---|---|
| 96 km (60 mi) W from epicenter |
Yamada Iwate, Japan. |
| 99 km (62 mi) W from epicenter |
Miyako Iwate, Japan. |
| 106 km (66 mi) W from epicenter |
Kamaishi Iwate, Japan. |
| 126 km (78 mi) W from epicenter |
Ōfunato Iwate, Japan. |
| 134 km (83 mi) W from epicenter |
Tōno Iwate, Japan. |
| 166 km (103 mi) W from epicenter |
Morioka Iwate, Japan. |
| 168 km (104 mi) W from epicenter |
Hanamaki Iwate, Japan. |
| 170 km (106 mi) W from epicenter |
Kitakami Iwate, Japan. |
| 171 km (106 mi) W from epicenter |
Mizusawa Iwate, Japan. |
| 171 km (106 mi) W from epicenter |
Kanegasaki Iwate, Japan. |
| 175 km (109 mi) NW from epicenter |
Hachinohe Aomori, Japan. |
| 179 km (111 mi) W from epicenter |
Ichinoseki Iwate, Japan. |
| 180 km (112 mi) W from epicenter |
Shizukuishi Iwate, Japan. |
| 194 km (121 mi) SW from epicenter |
Ishinomaki Miyagi, Japan. |
| 196 km (122 mi) NW from epicenter |
Misawa Aomori, Japan. |
| 198 km (123 mi) SW from epicenter |
Wakuya Miyagi, Japan. |
| 199 km (124 mi) SW from epicenter |
Yamoto Miyagi, Japan. |
| 204 km (127 mi) SW from epicenter |
Kogota Miyagi, Japan. |
| 209 km (130 mi) SW from epicenter |
Furukawa Miyagi, Japan. |
| 210 km (130 mi) W from epicenter |
Hanawa Akita, Japan. |
| 214 km (133 mi) SW from epicenter |
Matsushima Miyagi, Japan. |
| 218 km (135 mi) W from epicenter |
Yokote Akita, Japan. |
| 219 km (136 mi) SW from epicenter |
Shiogama Miyagi, Japan. |
| 222 km (138 mi) W from epicenter |
Ōmagari Akita, Japan. |
| 222 km (138 mi) SW from epicenter |
Rifu Miyagi, Japan. |
| 224 km (139 mi) W from epicenter |
Yuzawa Akita, Japan. |
| 225 km (140 mi) SW from epicenter |
Tomiya Miyagi, Japan. |
| 232 km (144 mi) W from epicenter |
Ōdate Akita, Japan. |
| 234 km (145 mi) SW from epicenter |
Sendai Miyagi, Japan. |
| 245 km (152 mi) W from epicenter |
Takanosu Akita, Japan. |
| 246 km (153 mi) SW from epicenter |
Iwanuma Miyagi, Japan. |
| 248 km (154 mi) NW from epicenter |
Kuroishi Aomori, Japan. |
| 248 km (154 mi) NW from epicenter |
Aomori Aomori, Japan. |
| 251 km (156 mi) SW from epicenter |
Watari Miyagi, Japan. |
| 252 km (157 mi) W from epicenter |
Shinjō Yamagata, Japan. |
| 253 km (157 mi) NW from epicenter |
Hirosaki Aomori, Japan. |
| 255 km (158 mi) NW from epicenter |
Mutsu Aomori, Japan. |
| 255 km (158 mi) W from epicenter |
Akita Akita, Japan. |
| 258 km (160 mi) SW from epicenter |
Ōkawara Miyagi, Japan. |
| 259 km (161 mi) SW from epicenter |
Higashine Yamagata, Japan. |
| 261 km (162 mi) SW from epicenter |
Kakuda Miyagi, Japan. |
| 266 km (165 mi) SW from epicenter |
Tendō Yamagata, Japan. |
| 267 km (166 mi) NW from epicenter |
Goshogawara Aomori, Japan. |
| 269 km (167 mi) SW from epicenter |
Shiroishi Miyagi, Japan. |
| 272 km (169 mi) SW from epicenter |
Sagae Yamagata, Japan. |
| 272 km (169 mi) W from epicenter |
Noshiro Akita, Japan. |
| 273 km (170 mi) SW from epicenter |
Yamagata Yamagata, Japan. |
| 284 km (176 mi) W from epicenter |
Sakata Yamagata, Japan. |
| 284 km (176 mi) SW from epicenter |
Kaminoyama Yamagata, Japan. |
| 293 km (182 mi) W from epicenter |
Tsuruoka Yamagata, Japan. |
| 298 km (185 mi) SW from epicenter |
Fukushima Fukushima, Japan. |
This is likely an aftershock
Approximately 1 day before this earthquake hit, a larger 6.5 magnitude earthquake struck 27 km (17 mi) east of this one. For that reason, we classify the Mag. 5.0 earthquake as an aftershock.
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreshock | M 4.2 |
9 hrs earlier Mar 26, 2026 14:28 (Tokyo Time) | 97 km (61 mi) NW from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 4.6 |
5 hrs earlier Mar 26, 2026 17:51 (Tokyo Time) | 15 km (9 mi) NW from Main Shock. |
| Main Shock | M 6.5 |
Mar 26, 2026 23:18 (Tokyo Time) | - |
| Aftershock | M 4.6 |
10 mins later Mar 26, 2026 23:28 (Tokyo Time) | 10 km (6 mi) E from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.6 |
18 mins later Mar 26, 2026 23:37 (Tokyo Time) | 16 km (10 mi) NW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.6 |
28 mins later Mar 26, 2026 23:47 (Tokyo Time) | 6 km (4 mi) N from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.5 |
51 mins later Mar 27, 2026 00:10 (Tokyo Time) | 11 km (7 mi) NW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.6 |
2 hrs later Mar 27, 2026 00:59 (Tokyo Time) | 8 km (5 mi) N from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.8 |
2 hrs later Mar 27, 2026 01:20 (Tokyo Time) | 15 km (10 mi) N from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.5 |
3 hrs later Mar 27, 2026 01:55 (Tokyo Time) | 17 km (10 mi) NW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.9 |
6 hrs later Mar 27, 2026 04:56 (Tokyo Time) | 5 km (3 mi) W from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock This Earthquake |
M 5.0 |
1 day later Mar 28, 2026 00:24 (Tokyo Time) | 27 km (17 mi) W from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.2 |
1 day later Mar 28, 2026 01:38 (Tokyo Time) | 28 km (17 mi) N from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.5 |
3 days later Mar 30, 2026 08:47 (Tokyo Time) | 93 km (58 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, 247 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5 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 15 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. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 42 km (26 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 20/04/26 18:28 (). 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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