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M6.0 Depth: 10.0 km

M6.0 Earthquake near Ryukyu Islands, Japan

UTC time: 2026-05-20 02:46:21 UTC Local time: —

About this earthquake

On May 20, 2026 at 02:46 UTC, a magnitude M6.0 earthquake occurred near Ryukyu Islands, Japan. The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 10 km, increasing how strongly it was felt. Events of this size are considered strong and can be dangerous in inhabited regions.

The event was recorded by Seismological Survey of Serbia.

Details

Magnitude
M6.0
Depth
10.0 km
UTC time
2026-05-20 02:46:21 UTC
Local time
—
Country
—
Source
serbia_rsz
Coordinates
27.67000, 128.59000

Map

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 10 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 10 km
Shallow
10 km
Why depth matters

Shallow quakes release energy near the surface — shaking is felt more strongly and damage potential is higher.

Depth classes per USGS

Nearby population centers

Distances are straight-line distances from the epicenter. Population data: GeoNames.

PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation
Naze117.0 kmNE41'365
Uruma161.1 kmSW125'303
Kagoshima472.9 kmNE595'049

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Io-Torishima
    Distance: 43 km ·Complex ·Elevation: 212 m ·Last eruption: 1968 ·Japan
  • Yokoatejima
    Distance: 132 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 495 m ·Last eruption: 1835 ·Japan
  • Akusekijima
    Distance: 222 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 555 m ·Japan
  • Suwanosejima
    Distance: 245 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 796 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·Japan
  • Nakanoshima
    Distance: 273 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 979 m ·Last eruption: 1914 ·Japan
  • Kuchinoshima
    Distance: 287 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 628 m ·Last eruption: 1190 ·Japan

Subsequent earthquakes nearby

Events recorded after this earthquake within 250 km. They are not automatically classified as aftershocks.

First 6 hours3
First 24 hours4
First 72 hours4
Strongest subsequent eventM5.8
M5.82026-05-20 02:46:23 UTC34.0 kmhe po ting M5.62026-05-20 02:46:26 UTC32.2 kmhe po ting M5.72026-05-20 02:46:29 UTC17.8 kmzhi ming ting M3.72026-05-21 01:11:30 UTC211.9 kmshi dao cun M3.62026-05-25 11:15:30 UTC192.6 kmdu jia fu cun M3.82026-05-25 21:49:30 UTC192.6 kmdu jia fu cun M3.92026-05-31 01:58:30 UTC31.3 kmRYUKYU ISLANDS, JAPAN M3.42026-06-02 03:35:30 UTC187.1 kmRYUKYU ISLANDS, JAPAN M4.72026-06-03 19:02:45 UTC235.8 kmshi dao cun M4.72026-06-03 19:02:45 UTC243.1 kmshi dao cun M4.72026-06-03 19:03:30 UTC240.4 kmRYUKYU ISLANDS, JAPAN M3.22026-06-04 02:36:30 UTC18.9 kmhe po ting

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 250 km.

Magnitude rank#1
Earlier events M≥4319
Earlier events M≥5101
Compared since2025-01-02

The QuakeMap24 comparison dataset begins on 2024-03-23. Earlier earthquakes may not be included.

Strongest earlier events

M5.82025-03-08 18:54:03 UTC197.5 km M5.72026-02-04 18:20:41 UTC237.4 km M5.72025-03-08 23:42:55 UTC204.3 km74 km ENE of Tatsugō, Japan M5.62026-05-20 02:46:20 UTC19.4 kmRyukyu Islands, Japan M5.62026-02-12 21:48:13 UTC216.9 kmRyukyu Islands, Japan

Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)
545
Country (24h)
—
—
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