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Magnitude 6.9 - EASTERN HONSHU, JAPAN

2008 June 13 23:43:46 UTC

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Earthquake Details

Magnitude6.9
Date-Time
Location39.122°N, 140.678°E
Depth10 km (6.2 miles) set by location program
RegionEASTERN HONSHU, JAPAN
Distances75 km (50 miles) SSW of Morioka, Honshu, Japan
80 km (50 miles) SE of Akita, Honshu, Japan
100 km (60 miles) NNW of Sendai, Honshu, Japan
395 km (245 miles) NNE of TOKYO, Japan
Location Uncertaintyhorizontal +/- 3.3 km (2.1 miles); depth fixed by location program
ParametersNST=287, Nph=287, Dmin=359.5 km, Rmss=0.71 sec, Gp= 18°,
M-type=moment magnitude (Mw), Version=Q
Source
  • USGS NEIC (WDCS-D)
Event IDus2008tfdp
  • This event has been reviewed by a seismologist.
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Earthquake Summary

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Earthquake Summary Poster

  • The following is a release by the United States Geological Survey, National Earthquake Information Center: An earthquake occurred about 85 km (50 miles) SSE of Akita, Honshu, Japan or about 100 km (60 miles) NNW of Sendai, Honshu, Japan or about 390 km (240 miles) N of TOKYO, Japan at 5:43 PM MDT, Jun 13, 2008 (Jun 14 at 8:43 AM local time in Japan). The magnitude and location may be revised when additional data and further analysis results are available.

    • Felt Reports

    At least 12 people killed, 302 injured, 385 buildings damaged and landslides occurred in the Furukawa-Kurihara-Morioka area. Felt (VII) at Furukawa; (VI) at Sendai; (IV) at Misawa and Tsukuba; (III) at Tokyo. Felt as far north as Hirosaki and as far south as Yokohama. Recorded (6U JMA) in Iwate and Miyagi; (5U JMA) in Akita; (5L JMA) in Fukushima and Yamagata; (4 JMA) throughout northern Honshu. Recorded (1 JMA) as far south as Aichi. Recorded (3 JMA) in southwestern Hokkaido, (2 JMA) in the Tomakomai-Shizunai area and (1 JMA) throughout southern Hokkaido.

    Tectonic Summary

    The Mw 6.8 Honshu earthquake of June 13th 2008 occurred in a region of convergence between the Pacific Plate and the Okhotsk section of the North American Plate in northern Japan, where the Pacific plate is moving west-northwest with respect to North America at a rate of approximately 8.3 cm/yr. The hypocenter of the earthquake indicates shallow thrusting motion in the upper (Okhotsk) plate, above the subducting Pacific plate, which lies at approximately 80 km depth at this location.

    The earthquake occurred in a region of upper-plate contraction, probably within the complicated tectonics of the Ou Backbone Range, known to have hosted several large earthquakes in historic times. The largest of these events occurred in 1896, approximately 70km north of the June 13th event, and killed over 200 people in the local area.

    Earthquake Information for Japan

    Earthquake Information for Asia