Earthquake Under the Ocean near Amami-Oshima Island on March 15, 2024
An M5.6 earthquake (maximum seismic intensity 4) occurred at 19:32 on March 15, 2024, at a depth of 19 km (according to CMT solution) under the ocean near Amami-Oshima. The focal mechanism of this earthquake (CMT solution) was of the NW-SE compression axis. After this earthquake, three earthquakes of seismic intensity 1 or over (maximum seismic intensity: number of earthquakes, 3: 1, 2: 1, 1: 1) occurred until March 31.
For seismic activity since October 1994, five earthquakes of M5.0 or over have occurred in the vicinity of the epicenter of this earthquake (Area a), including the present earthquake.
For seismic activity since 1885, earthquakes larger than M6.0 sometimes occurred in the area near this event. The M6.9 earthquake on October 18, 1995 (maximum seismic intensity 5) and the M6.7 earthquake on the following day, October 19, (maximum seismic intensity 5) caused one person injured and four houses partially destroyed in Kikai Island. These earthquakes caused tsunamis along the Pacific coast from Kanto to Okinawa, including a 43 cm tsunami (the maximum height above ordinary tide level) on Nakanoshima Island in Kagoshima Prefecture (damage data is from the "Materials for Comprehensive List of Destructive Earthquakes in Japan"). On June 15, 1911, an earthquake of M8.0 occurred, killing 7 people, injuring 26, and completely destroying 418 houses (damage data is from the "Materials for Comprehensive List of Destructive Earthquakes in Japan").
Japan Meteorological Agency
[Evaluation of Seismic Activities for March 2024 (April 9, 2024)]