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M6.5 Earthquake

UTC time: 2026-05-15 11:22:02 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
M6.5
Depth
43.6 km
Source
NNSN

Earthquake location (38.913, 142.25)

Map

M6.5 Earthquake · 2026-05-15 — Map showing the location of the epicenter
M6.5 Earthquake · 2026-05-15 — Map showing the location of the epicenter

About this earthquake

On May 15, 2026 at 11:22 UTC, a magnitude M6.5 earthquake occurred near Earthquake location (38.913, 142.25). With a focal depth of about 44 km, this was a shallow earthquake, whose shaking is usually felt more strongly at the surface. Earthquakes of this magnitude can cause significant damage in populated areas.

The event was recorded by NNSN.

Details

ID
e467f7034ffea55aa763de205b297bd72896cd8f
Magnitude
M6.5
Depth
43.6 km
UTC time
2026-05-15 11:22:02 UTC
Local time
—
Country
—
Source
nnsn
Coordinates
38.91300, 142.25000

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 43.6 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 43.6 km
Shallow
43.6 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
Ōfunato49.4 kmW35'452
Ichinoseki96.6 kmW114'476
Sendai140.1 kmSW1'096'704

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Kurikomayama
    Distance: 127 km ·Stratovolcano ·Last eruption: 1950 ·Japan
  • Naruko
    Distance: 133 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 470 m ·Last eruption: 837 ·Japan
  • Iwatesan Activity reported
    Distance: 150 km ·Complex ·Elevation: 2'038 m ·Last eruption: 1919 ·Japan
  • Akita-Komagatake
    Distance: 156 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 1'637 m ·Last eruption: 1971 ·Japan
  • Hachimantai
    Distance: 167 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'613 m ·Last eruption: -5350 ·Japan
  • Akita-Yakeyama
    Distance: 173 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'366 m ·Last eruption: 1997 ·Japan

Radius · 100 km

Nearby infrastructure

Up to 3 nearest sites per category

Nuclear power plants

  • Onagawa nuclear power plantJapanOut of operation · Operating at dataset date · Permanently shut downReactor units at site: 3
    86.6 kmStraight-line distance

Source: Global Energy Monitor · Global Nuclear Power Tracker · Dataset date: 2026-08

This selection shows geographic proximity, not a hazard zone or confirmed impacts. Distances use recorded site coordinates. Sources & data dates

Subsequent earthquakes nearby

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

First 6 hours1
First 24 hours1
First 72 hours7
Strongest subsequent eventM6.6
M6.62026-05-15 11:22:06 UTC32.2 kmNear east coast of eastern Honshu, Japan [Sea: Japan] M5.02026-05-17 00:07:24 UTC135.9 kmOff East Coast of Honshu, Japan M4.72026-05-17 00:07:28 UTC131.1 kmOFF EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN M4.62026-05-17 00:07:30 UTC161.3 kmNear East Coast of Honshu, Japan M4.22026-05-17 02:42:15 UTC34.2 kmda chuan du shi M3.72026-05-17 09:02:30 UTC21.2 kmNEAR EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN M4.02026-05-18 06:19:30 UTC126.1 kmNEAR EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN M4.82026-05-18 17:04:28 UTC139.0 kmOff East Coast of Honshu, Japan M4.82026-05-18 17:04:29 UTC142.9 kmOff east coast of Honshu M4.12026-05-19 10:23:36 UTC225.4 kmNEAR EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN M3.82026-05-20 06:12:30 UTC146.3 kmNEAR EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN M3.92026-05-21 04:20:30 UTC21.7 kmda chuan du shi

Comparison of seismic sources

2 sources currently report magnitudes from M6.5 to M6.7.

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

SourceMagnitudeDepthPosition difference
SCEDCM6.743.6 km0.0 km
NNSNM6.543.6 km0.0 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 250 km.

Magnitude rank#34
Earlier events M≥4726
Earlier events M≥5364
Compared since2025-01-05

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

Strongest earlier events

M7.72025-12-08 14:15:13 UTC231.8 km M7.62026-04-20 07:52:57 UTC150.1 kmOff East Coast of Honshu, Japan M7.62025-12-08 14:15:12 UTC236.1 kmHOKKAIDO, JAPAN REGION M7.62025-12-08 14:15:10 UTC237.0 km74 km ENE of Misawa, Japan M7.62025-12-08 14:15:09 UTC232.1 km84 km ENE of Misawa, Japan

Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)
449
Country (24h)
—
—
Current earthquakes in
Magnitude Place Local time
No recent events available.

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