Reviewed by USGSJapan91y ago
M7.3 earthquake 83 km E of Ishinomaki, Japan
Monday, November 2, 1936, 20:45:57 UTC · 38.279°N, 142.235°E
A magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck 83 km E of Ishinomaki, Japan on Monday, November 2, 1936, 20:45:57 UTC, at a depth of 35.0 km (shallow). It is the strongest earthquake within 300 km since an M7.3 on June 18, 1933.
- Magnitude
- 7.3
- Major · mw
- Depth
- 35 km
- Shallow
- Felt reports
- 0
- Did You Feel It?
- Est. shaking
- VI
- Strong (ShakeMap)
- PAGER alert
- None
- Not issued
- Tsunami
- No flag
- USGS feed
Outlined circle: this earthquakeDashed circle: 200 km aftershock search areaColoured lines: estimated shaking intensity (USGS ShakeMap)
In context
How big was it, and why here?
Energy released
1.1 megatons of TNT
That is about 75 times the Hiroshima bomb. It released about 2,371 times the energy of a magnitude 5.0.
Tectonic setting
148 km
from the nearest mapped plate boundary, between the Pacific and Okhotsk plates. Earthquakes this far from a boundary happen on faults inside a plate, often less frequently but sometimes strongly.
Depth: shallow
35 km
Shallow earthquakes (under 70 km) produce the strongest surface shaking for their size, so they are the ones most likely to cause damage near the epicenter.
Did You Feel It?
Where it was felt
No “Did You Feel It?” reports have been published for this event yet. If you felt it, you can add your report on the USGS website.
I felt it — report to USGS ↗USGS PAGER estimate
Who was exposed to shaking
USGS publishes PAGER impact estimates for significant earthquakes, usually within an hour. No PAGER estimate is available for this event.
After the main event
Aftershocks within 200 km
USGS lists 1 M2.5+ earthquake within 200 km in the following 30 days; the largest was M5.8 on November 21, 1936. Most nearby activity right after a large earthquake is aftershocks, which usually become less frequent over days and weeks.
Regional history
Past M5+ earthquakes within 300 km
USGS lists 166 M5.0+ earthquakes within 300 km before this one (catalog from 1900; older records are less complete). The strongest:
- 8.41933 Sanriku (Sanriku-oki) Earthquake, JapanMarch 2, 1933 · 229 km NE of this epicenter
- 7.978 km E of Hachinohe, JapanMarch 9, 1931 · 258 km N of this epicenter
- 7.7217 km ESE of Kamaishi, JapanJuly 6, 1905 · 165 km E of this epicenter
- 7.6119 km SE of Kamaishi, JapanNovember 1, 1915 · 79 km NE of this epicenter
- 7.5Near the east coast of Honshu, JapanAugust 9, 1901 · 258 km N of this epicenter
- 7.379 km ENE of Miyako, JapanMay 27, 1928 · 185 km N of this epicenter
- 7.3110 km ESE of Ishinomaki, JapanJune 18, 1933 · 31 km SE of this epicenter
- 7.264 km ENE of Hasaki, JapanJune 1, 1923 · 269 km S of this epicenter
History · NOAA
Deadliest earthquakes in this area
NOAA’s significant-earthquake database lists 42 damaging, deadly or tsunami-generating earthquakes within 300 km of this epicenter since 1700, which together caused about 34,053 recorded deaths. The most severe:
- 1896M8.3
Sanriku
15 Jun 1896 · 204 km away
27,122 deathsExtreme damage ($25M+)tsunami
- 1933M8.4
Sanriku
2 Mar 1933 · 229 km away
3,022 deathsExtreme damage ($25M+)tsunami
- 1828
Sandyo In Etigo
18 Dec 1828 · 255 km away
1,443 deathsExtreme damage ($25M+)tsunami
- 1793M8.3
Sanriku,Rikuzen,Rikuchu
17 Feb 1793 · 156 km away
745 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)tsunami
- 1894M7.0
Syonai
22 Oct 1894 · 223 km away
726 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)tsunami
- 1804M7.3
Kisakata
10 Jul 1804 · 216 km away
450 deathsExtreme damage ($25M+)tsunami
NOAA NCEI Global Significant Earthquake Database. Historical figures are estimates; older records are incomplete.