Real-time earthquake monitor ·
USGS data
This moderate M5.5 earthquake was a shallow-focus event, striking at 16 km beneath Noda, Japan. Moderate earthquakes are widely felt and can cause light damage near the epicenter, particularly to older or unreinforced structures.
At 16 km, this is a very shallow earthquake. Shallow-focus events typically generate stronger surface shaking relative to their magnitude, concentrating energy in a smaller area near the epicenter.