In the evening of Saturday April 11th, 2026, a shallow and significant MAG-5.2 earthquake hit in the North Pacific Ocean 219 kilometer from Kushiro, Japan. Around 270 thousand people have been exposed to shaking.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the North Pacific Ocean, 189 kilometers (117 mi) off the coast of Japan, 219 kilometer south-east of Kushiro in Hokkaido. The center of this earthquake had a very shallow depth of 10 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.
| Date and Time: | Apr 11, 2026 18:49 (Tokyo Time) - Apr 11, 2026 09:49 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 219 km SE of Kushiro, Hokkaido, Japan. Coordinates 41°48'24"N 146°31'43"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.2 Detected by 20 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.069 . |
| Depth: | 10 km (6 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 270 thousand people exposed to shaking
An estimated 270 thousand 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.
The highest earthquake impact level for this earthquake is III, which corresponds with weak shaking and probably no damage. Roughly 264,800 people are expected to be exposed to this level.
People in 2 countries have been exposed to shaking. In Japan , around 260 thousand people, with impact levels up to III (weak shaking, probably no damage). Shaking was experienced by inhabitants of Russia too.
| People | MMI Level | Shaking | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | I |
Not noticable | None |
| 3,890 | II |
Very weak | None |
| 264,800 | III |
Weak | Probably none |
| 0 | IV |
Light | Likely none |
| 0 | V |
Moderate | Very light |
| 0 | VI |
Strong | Light |
| 0 | VII |
Very Strong | Moderate |
| 0 | VIII |
Severe | Moderate to heavy |
| 0 | IX |
Violent | Heavy |
| 0 | X |
Extreme | Very heavy |
Nearby towns and cities
This earthquake may have been felt in Japan . Located 186 kilometer (116 mi) south-east of the epicenter of this earthquake, Nemuro (Hokkaido, Japan) is the nearest significant population center. The intensity of shaking and damage in Nemuro is estimated to be around level III on the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale (weak shaking, probably no damage).
An overview of nearby towns and cities is available in the overview below. If places don't have intensity data available, it likely means the experienced impact in those places was fairly small.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place | Intensity (MMI) |
|---|---|---|
| 186 km (116 mi) NW from epicenter |
Nemuro Hokkaido, Japan. |
III
Weak |
| 219 km (136 mi) NW from epicenter |
Kushiro Hokkaido, Japan. |
III
Weak |
| 232 km (144 mi) NW from epicenter |
Nakashibetsu Hokkaido, Japan. |
III
Weak |
| 235 km (146 mi) NW from epicenter |
Shibetsu Hokkaido, Japan. |
|
| 300 km (186 mi) NW from epicenter |
Obihiro Hokkaido, Japan. |
|
| 300 km (186 mi) NW from epicenter |
Motomachi Hokkaido, Japan. |
Earthquake Intensity Map
The intensity in shaking and damage by this earthquake is illustrated through the map below. The highest intensity measured for this earthquake is III.
Risk of aftershocks?
This earthquake did not have any significant foreshocks nor aftershocks occurring within 100km (62 mi) of its epicenter.
The risk of aftershocks decreases rapidly over time. Usually, aftershocks are at least one order of magnitude lower than a main shock.
It's always adviced to be cautious of the risk of a larger shock following any significant earthquake, however this risk is fairly small. There is a roughly 94 percent change that no larger main shock will follow in the days following this earthquake.
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 January 14th, 2026, when a 5.5 magnitude earthquake hit 133 km (82 mi) further northwest. An even stronger magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck on December 8th, 2025.
In total, 42 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 10 km (6 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 02/05/26 12:38 (). 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 us6000spac
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260411_0000149
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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