Shallow M6.1 earthquake hits off the east coast of Hachijojima Island, Japan
Image credit: TW/SAM, Google
A strong and shallow earthquake registered by the JMA as M6.1 hit off the east coast of Hachijojima Island, Japan at 15:17 UTC on May 22, 2022. The agency is reporting a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles). USGS is reporting M6.0 at a depth of 15.8 km (9.8 miles), EMSC M6.0 at a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles).
The epicenter was located about 237.6 km (147.6 miles) SSE of Katsuura and 291 km (180.7 miles) SSE of Chiba, Japan.
There are no people living within 100 km (62 miles).
The USGS issued a Green alert for shaking-related fatalities and economic losses. There is a low likelihood of casualties and damage.
Overall, the population in this region resides in structures that are resistant to earthquake shaking, though vulnerable structures exist. The predominant vulnerable building types are heavy wood frame and reinforced/confined masonry construction.
Recent earthquakes in this area have caused secondary hazards such as landslides that might have contributed to losses.

Regional seismicity

Teo Blašković founded The Watchers in 2011 and edited it until 2026, covering seismic and volcanic activity, extreme weather, space weather and near-Earth objects. Articles on this page are his archive.
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