A shallow and significant Magnitude 5.1 aftershock struck in the North Pacific Ocean 182 kilometer from Morioka, Japan in the evening of Monday April 20th, 2026.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the North Pacific Ocean, 137 kilometers (85 mi) off the coast of Japan, 182 kilometer east of Morioka in Iwate. The center of this earthquake had a very shallow depth of 25 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.
| Date and Time: | Apr 20, 2026 18:49 (Tokyo Time) - Apr 20, 2026 09:49 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 182 km east of Morioka, Iwate, Japan. Coordinates 39°47'20"N 143°16'51"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.1 Detected by 289 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.033 . |
| Depth: | 25 km (16 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 . Miyako in Iwate, Japan is the nearest significant place from the epicenter. The earthquake occurred 116 kilometer (72 mi) east of Miyako.
Multiple large cities are in proximity of today's earthquake. Sendai is located 269 km to the southwest. Morioka is located 182 km to the west. Hachinohe is located 171 km to the northwest.
An overview of nearby towns and cities is available in the overview below.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 116 km (72 mi) W from epicenter |
Miyako Iwate, Japan. |
| 119 km (74 mi) W from epicenter |
Yamada Iwate, Japan. |
| 134 km (83 mi) SW from epicenter |
Kamaishi Iwate, Japan. |
| 156 km (97 mi) SW from epicenter |
Ōfunato Iwate, Japan. |
| 159 km (99 mi) W from epicenter |
Tōno Iwate, Japan. |
| 171 km (106 mi) NW from epicenter |
Hachinohe Aomori, Japan. |
| 182 km (113 mi) W from epicenter |
Morioka Iwate, Japan. |
| 189 km (117 mi) NW from epicenter |
Misawa Aomori, Japan. |
| 191 km (119 mi) W from epicenter |
Hanamaki Iwate, Japan. |
| 194 km (121 mi) W from epicenter |
Kitakami Iwate, Japan. |
| 197 km (122 mi) W from epicenter |
Kanegasaki Iwate, Japan. |
| 197 km (122 mi) W from epicenter |
Shizukuishi Iwate, Japan. |
| 198 km (123 mi) W from epicenter |
Mizusawa Iwate, Japan. |
| 209 km (130 mi) SW from epicenter |
Ichinoseki Iwate, Japan. |
| 217 km (135 mi) W from epicenter |
Hanawa Akita, Japan. |
| 229 km (142 mi) SW from epicenter |
Ishinomaki Miyagi, Japan. |
| 231 km (144 mi) SW from epicenter |
Wakuya Miyagi, Japan. |
| 234 km (145 mi) SW from epicenter |
Yamoto Miyagi, Japan. |
| 237 km (147 mi) SW from epicenter |
Kogota Miyagi, Japan. |
| 238 km (148 mi) W from epicenter |
Ōdate Akita, Japan. |
| 240 km (149 mi) W from epicenter |
Yokote Akita, Japan. |
| 241 km (150 mi) NW from epicenter |
Mutsu Aomori, Japan. |
| 242 km (150 mi) SW from epicenter |
Furukawa Miyagi, Japan. |
| 243 km (151 mi) W from epicenter |
Ōmagari Akita, Japan. |
| 244 km (152 mi) NW from epicenter |
Aomori Aomori, Japan. |
| 248 km (154 mi) SW from epicenter |
Matsushima Miyagi, Japan. |
| 248 km (154 mi) W from epicenter |
Yuzawa Akita, Japan. |
| 248 km (154 mi) W from epicenter |
Kuroishi Aomori, Japan. |
| 250 km (155 mi) NW from epicenter |
Namioka Aomori, Japan. |
| 253 km (157 mi) W from epicenter |
Takanosu Akita, Japan. |
| 254 km (158 mi) SW from epicenter |
Shiogama Miyagi, Japan. |
| 255 km (158 mi) W from epicenter |
Hirosaki Aomori, Japan. |
| 257 km (160 mi) SW from epicenter |
Rifu Miyagi, Japan. |
| 258 km (160 mi) SW from epicenter |
Tomiya Miyagi, Japan. |
| 266 km (165 mi) NW from epicenter |
Goshogawara Aomori, Japan. |
| 269 km (167 mi) SW from epicenter |
Sendai Miyagi, Japan. |
| 271 km (168 mi) W from epicenter |
Akita Akita, Japan. |
| 272 km (169 mi) NW from epicenter |
Shimokizukuri Aomori, Japan. |
| 281 km (175 mi) W from epicenter |
Noshiro Akita, Japan. |
| 281 km (175 mi) SW from epicenter |
Iwanuma Miyagi, Japan. |
| 281 km (175 mi) SW from epicenter |
Shinjō Yamagata, Japan. |
| 281 km (175 mi) SW from epicenter |
Obanazawa Yamagata, Japan. |
| 283 km (176 mi) W from epicenter |
Tennō Akita, Japan. |
| 287 km (178 mi) SW from epicenter |
Watari Miyagi, Japan. |
| 290 km (180 mi) SW from epicenter |
Higashine Yamagata, Japan. |
| 293 km (182 mi) SW from epicenter |
Ōkawara Miyagi, Japan. |
| 293 km (182 mi) N from epicenter |
Shizunai-furukawachō Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 296 km (184 mi) SW from epicenter |
Kakuda Miyagi, Japan. |
| 298 km (185 mi) SW from epicenter |
Tendō Yamagata, Japan. |
This is likely an aftershock
This earthquake was an aftershock. A larger mag. 7.4 earthquake struck 27 km (17 mi) northwest in advance of this 5.1 earthquake around 2 hrs earlier.
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main Shock | M 7.4 |
Apr 20, 2026 16:53 (Tokyo Time) | - |
| Aftershock | M 5.3 |
10 mins later Apr 20, 2026 17:03 (Tokyo Time) | 75 km (47 mi) NE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 5.2 |
16 mins later Apr 20, 2026 17:08 (Tokyo Time) | 29 km (18 mi) E from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.9 |
22 mins later Apr 20, 2026 17:14 (Tokyo Time) | 64 km (39 mi) SE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.8 |
37 mins later Apr 20, 2026 17:30 (Tokyo Time) | 22 km (14 mi) SE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 5.6 |
40 mins later Apr 20, 2026 17:32 (Tokyo Time) | 39 km (24 mi) SE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.4 |
1 hr later Apr 20, 2026 18:07 (Tokyo Time) | 41 km (26 mi) SE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock This Earthquake |
M 5.1 |
2 hrs later Apr 20, 2026 18:49 (Tokyo Time) | 27 km (17 mi) SE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.8 |
3 hrs later Apr 20, 2026 19:37 (Tokyo Time) | 73 km (45 mi) SE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 5.0 |
3 hrs later Apr 20, 2026 19:44 (Tokyo Time) | 55 km (34 mi) S 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, 150 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 24 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 25 km (16 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 20/04/26 11:38 (). 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.
- US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us6000sriv
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260420_0000142
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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