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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. How our reports are produced ↗

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)
505
Country (24h)
—
—
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