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M5.5 Earthquake near Volcano Islands, Japan region

UTC time: 2026-08-15 19:32:30 UTC Local time: —
Earthquake newsQuakeMap24
Archive record · original publication time was not recorded

Automatically generated from measurement data by QuakeMap24. Values may change after further analysis.

Magnitude
M5.5
Depth
40.0 km
Source
USGS

Volcano Islands, Japan region

Map

M5.5 Earthquake near Volcano Islands, Japan region · 2026-08-15 — Map showing the location of the epicenter
M5.5 Earthquake near Volcano Islands, Japan region · 2026-08-15 — Map showing the location of the epicenter

About this earthquake

On August 15, 2026 at 19:32 UTC, a magnitude M5.5 earthquake occurred near Volcano Islands, Japan region. With a focal depth of about 40 km, this was a shallow earthquake, whose shaking is usually felt more strongly at the surface. Events of this size can cause damage near the epicenter.

The data is provided by USGS and cross-checked across seismological networks.

Details

ID
c52b1069d9289f46da57eb6048768ce9582c5ab7
Magnitude
M5.5
Depth
40.0 km
UTC time
2026-08-15 19:32:30 UTC
Local time
—
Country
—
Source
usgs
Coordinates
23.44610, 142.78680
Temperature
26.6°C

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 40 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 40 km
Shallow
40 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

Estimated impact

Green No or minimal impact expected.

Ground shaking

III
Weak · Intensity (MMI) III
Felt by a few, no damage.

Tectonic context

Located on the Mariana Plate.
Near the boundary Philippine Sea ↔ Mariana · about 10 km away

Nearby population centers

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

PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation
Saipan966.9 kmS48'220

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Nikko
    Distance: 62 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: -392 m ·Japan
  • Minami-Hiyoshi
    Distance: 87 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: -107 m ·Last eruption: 1975 ·Japan
  • Fukutoku-Oka-no-Ba
    Distance: 162 km ·Pyroclastic cone ·Elevation: -29 m ·Last eruption: 2021 ·Japan
  • Kita-Fukutokutai
    Distance: 176 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: -73 m ·Last eruption: 1954 ·Japan
  • Fukujin
    Distance: 183 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: -217 m ·Last eruption: 1974 ·United States
  • Kasuga 1
    Distance: 210 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: -598 m ·Last eruption: 1959 ·United States

Comparison of seismic sources

5 sources currently report magnitudes from M5.4 to M5.7.

Measurements can differ because agencies use different networks and calculation methods. Values may be revised.

SourceMagnitudeDepthPosition difference
GFZM5.710.0 km32.2 km
SERBIA_RSZM5.410.0 km30.8 km
RESIFM5.510.0 km21.7 km
USGSM5.540.0 km0.0 km
EMSCM5.746.0 km21.1 km

No unambiguous area assignment

Context for this earthquake

This event has no unambiguous country assignment in the analysed catalogue. It is therefore not assigned to a regional profile.

Earthquake overview

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#3
Earlier events M≥427
Earlier events M≥58
Compared since2025-01-06

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

Strongest earlier events

M6.82026-03-02 03:55:23 UTC149.0 kmVolcano Islands, Japan region M6.22026-01-21 16:37:46 UTC40.3 kmVolcano Islands, Japan region M5.42026-01-25 22:02:10 UTC65.8 km M5.42026-01-21 16:37:46 UTC53.0 kmVolcano Islands, Japan Region M5.32025-01-07 17:23:48 UTC116.3 kmVolcano Islands, Japan region

Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)
615
Country (24h)
—
—
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