A 5.8-magnitude earthquake struck off the eastern coast of Aomori Prefecture, Japan, on August 1 at 11:48 a.m. local time (10:48 a.m. Singapore/Taipei time) [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7].
The epicenter was located at latitude 41.3°N and longitude 142.0°E, approximately 80 kilometers deep beneath the Pacific Ocean [3, 8, 9, 6, 7]. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) reported the seismic intensity reached a maximum of 4 on a scale of 7 in areas across Aomori, parts of Hokkaido, and northern Iwate prefectures [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]. Specifically, regions including Hokkaido's Oshima East, Aomori's Tsugaru North, Sanpoku, and Shimokita, as well as inland northern Iwate, registered intensity 4 shaking [4, 5, 7]. Some southern parts of Ishikari and Iburi in Hokkaido, Tokachi, southern Tsugaru, and coastal areas of Iwate felt intensity 3 shaking [4, 5, 7].
Despite the magnitude and intensity, no tsunami warnings or advisories were issued following the quake [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 6, 7]. The Japan Meteorological Agency stated, "The temblor occurred at 11.48 am local time off Aomori's Pacific coast at a depth of 80 kilometres, measuring 4 on Japan's seismic scale of 7. No tsunami advisory was issued" [3].
No casualties or major damage have been reported as of now [2, 9, 7]. This contrasts with another recent quake, when a much stronger magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Kumamoto Prefecture on July 28, causing at least 36 deaths and ongoing rescue operations [10, 9, 11, 7].
Some discrepancies exist regarding the August 1 quake's magnitude and location. Germany’s GFZ seismic research center recorded a 5.7-magnitude earthquake in Hokkaido on the same morning, slightly differing from JMA’s 5.8 magnitude off Aomori Prefecture [1, 10].
The seismic activity on August 1 follows the high-impact Kumamoto earthquake on July 28, which remains the focus of emergency response efforts as of today, August 6 [10, 9, 11, 7].
