Latest Earthquake News and Updates: Japan, Hokkaido, Kyushu, and Worldwide

2023-06-04 01:07:00

2023/06/04 10:07 Weather news

The number of felt-earthquakes observed in Japan over the past week has decreased significantly compared to last week, but remains at a high level.

Earthquakes continue near the Tokara Islands and in Noto, Ishikawa Prefecture, and seismic activity around the Izu Islands has stabilized. Five earthquakes with a seismic intensity of 3 or higher have occurred. (Tally from May 29th to June 4th at 10:00)

Japan: Seismic intensity 4 in Kyushu and Tokara Islands Temporary increase in felt earthquakes

Earthquake near the Tokara Islands

At around 11:28 on June 1 (Thursday), an earthquake estimated to have a magnitude of 4.3 and a depth of 11 km occurred with an epicenter near the Tokara Islands. This earthquake recorded a maximum seismic intensity of 4 at Nakanoshima in Toshima Village and a seismic intensity of 3 at Kuchinoshima.

An earthquake with a maximum seismic intensity of lower 5 occurred on May 13 in the waters near the Tokara Islands, and seismic activity continued following that. On the 1st, there was a slight increase in the number of felt earthquakes, and 12 were observed, including an earthquake with a seismic intensity of 3. Once every two days, the activity is in a lull.

There is still a possibility of an earthquake with strong shaking for a while, so please continue to be careful.

What is the seismic trend in southern Chiba Prefecture so far?

Underneath the southern part of Chiba Prefecture, the North American plate, the Philippine Sea plate, and the Pacific plate intertwine, creating a complex structure. Looking at the distribution of hypocenters since 2001, we can see that the areas with many earthquakes are roughly divided into areas with a depth of 10 to 20 km, around 40 km, which is the same as this time, and around 70 km.

The 5.2-magnitude earthquake that occurred in July 2012 occurred near the southern tip of the Boso Peninsula, and was of a slightly deeper type with a depth of 88 km. Magnitude 5.2 in August 2007 is a shallow type with a depth of 20 km.

In this area, there are cases where strong earthquakes occur in the sea areas off the southeast of Chiba Prefecture and off the east of Chiba Prefecture, rather than land areas, so it is essential to be prepared on a regular basis.

Japan: Earthquake off Urakawa, Hokkaido with a seismic intensity of 3

Earthquake off Urakawa

At around 7:35 p.m. on Saturday, June 3, an earthquake with an epicenter off the coast of Urakawa occurred with a magnitude of 5.1 and an estimated depth of regarding 60km. In this earthquake, tremors with a seismic intensity of 3 were observed in Hakodate City, Shinhidaka Town, Urakawa Town, and Urahoro Town, Hokkaido.

The mechanism of the earthquake was analyzed as a reverse fault type with a northwest-southeast pressure axis, and from the depth and mechanism of the epicenter, it is believed to have occurred near the boundary between the continental plate and the subducting Pacific plate.

Urakawa-oki is a region where large-scale earthquakes often occur. In 2016, it had a magnitude of 6.7 and a maximum seismic intensity of lower 5, and in 1982, a magnitude of 7.1 and a maximum seismic intensity of 6 (the seismic intensity scale at that time) occurred.

Japan: A strong earthquake in January this year with a seismic intensity of 4 in Hyuga Nada

World: M6.3 south of New Zealand

Earthquakes of M4.5 or higher around the world (quoted from USGS website/processed by Weathernews)

There has been one earthquake with a magnitude of 6 or higher according to US Geological Survey analysis. The largest was magnitude 6.3, which occurred southwest of New Zealand.

Around noon on May 31 (Wednesday) Japan time, an earthquake estimated to have a magnitude of 6.3 and a depth of regarding 9 km occurred with an epicenter in the southwestern waters of New Zealand. The earthquake mechanism is analyzed as strike-slip type.

The area around the epicenter of this quake hits the boundary between the Pacific plate and the Australian plate. Magnitude 6 class earthquakes occur frequently, and in 1989 there was a huge earthquake of magnitude 8.0. Since there are many strike-slip earthquakes, large tsunamis are unlikely to occur in spite of their scale.

world:

Reference materials, etc.

*Information on earthquake sources and seismic intensity in Japan is from the Japan Meteorological Agency unless otherwise specified. Overseas epicenter information is from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) unless otherwise specified. There may be differences in hypocenter information depending on the publishing organization.

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