M4.4 Earthquake near Ōma, Japan — 29 December 2024
A light earthquake of magnitude 4.4 was recorded near Ōma, Japan on , with an epicentre 34 km east-northeast of Ōma, at a focal depth of 98.3 km.
Time (UTC): 2024-12-29 05:19:53
Time (your timezone): —
Magnitude: 4.4 (light)
Focal depth: 98.3 km (intermediate)
Epicentre: 41.6424, 141.2910
Location: 34 km ENE of Ōma, Japan
USGS link to NOAA tsunami information: Not linked
Review status: Reviewed
Source: USGS event page
How strong was this earthquake?
Light earthquakes are widely felt near the epicentre and can rattle windows, dishes and hanging objects. Damage is uncommon and usually limited to cracked plaster or fallen loose items.
A magnitude 4.4 earthquake radiates roughly 60 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.
The USGS assigns this earthquake a significance score of 298, which is below the USGS threshold of more than 600 for its significant-earthquake list. The ranking combines magnitude with available Did You Feel It responses and PAGER alert level; it is not a direct measurement of damage.
Where was the epicentre?
The epicentre was located at 41.6424, 141.2910 — 34 km east-northeast of Ōma. The closest other recorded event was a magnitude 4.2 earthquake 59 km east of here on 11 June 2026.
Why the 98 km depth matters
At 98 km this was an intermediate-depth earthquake. Energy from events at this depth spreads out before it reaches the surface, which usually means weaker shaking near the epicentre than a shallow quake of the same magnitude, but shaking felt across a wider area.
This catalogue does not ingest eyewitness responses, so it cannot confirm where this earthquake was felt. Based on magnitude alone, an event this size is often felt across the surrounding area. Its intermediate depth normally reduces peak shaking near the epicentre compared with a shallow event of the same magnitude.
What does the tsunami information flag mean?
The USGS record does not carry a link to NOAA tsunami information. That field is not an all-clear and does not state whether a tsunami occurred. In this case, a damaging tsunami would be less likely because at M4.4 it falls below the magnitude 6.5 threshold that generally applies before a submarine earthquake displaces enough water to generate a damaging tsunami; it occurred inland rather than beneath the sea floor. For an active coastal alert, use tsunami.gov or your local warning authority.
How earthquakes generate tsunamis, and what the alert levels mean →
Aftershocks and local seismic history
No further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event.
202 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 7.6 event near Misawa on 08 December 2025. This M4.4 event released about 63,096 times less energy than that event.
How long aftershock sequences last, and how large they get →
Where this event sits in the record
This earthquake is part of the December 2024 worldwide record. Browse the full monthly archive to compare periods.
Nearest recorded earthquakes to this epicentre
- M4.2 earthquake near Mutsu, Japan — (59 km E)
- M5.5 earthquake near Mutsu, Japan — (60 km ESE)
- M4.4 earthquake near Shikabe, Japan — (79 km NW)
- M4.7 earthquake near Misawa, Japan — (92 km SE)
- M5.9 earthquake near Otobe, Japan — (97 km WNW)
- M4.3 earthquake near Yokohama, Japan — (102 km ESE)
- M4.3 earthquake near Urakawa, Japan — (102 km ENE)
- M4.9 earthquake near Honchō, Japan — (113 km ESE)
- M4.4 earthquake near Hachinohe, Japan — (114 km SSE)
- M4.2 earthquake near Misawa, Japan — (125 km ESE)
Other magnitude 4 earthquakes worldwide
- M4.4 earthquake near Fiji region —
- M4.6 earthquake near Honmachi, Japan —
- M4.2 earthquake near Banda Sea —
- M4.4 earthquake near Ollagüe, Chile —
- M4.4 earthquake near Severo-Kuril’sk, Russia —
- M4.4 earthquake near Volcano Islands, Japan region —
- M4.5 earthquake near south of the Fiji Islands —
- M4.6 earthquake near Daliao, Philippines —
Questions about this earthquake
How strong is a magnitude 4.4 earthquake?
Light earthquakes are widely felt near the epicentre and can rattle windows, dishes and hanging objects. Damage is uncommon and usually limited to cracked plaster or fallen loose items. A magnitude 4.4 earthquake radiates roughly 60 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.
How deep was the earthquake near Ōma?
At 98 km this was an intermediate-depth earthquake. Energy from events at this depth spreads out before it reaches the surface, which usually means weaker shaking near the epicentre than a shallow quake of the same magnitude, but shaking felt across a wider area.
Was the M4.4 earthquake near Ōma felt?
This catalogue does not ingest eyewitness responses, so it cannot confirm where this earthquake was felt. Based on magnitude alone, an event this size is often felt across the surrounding area. Its intermediate depth normally reduces peak shaking near the epicentre compared with a shallow event of the same magnitude.
What does the USGS tsunami field mean for this event?
The USGS record does not carry a link to NOAA tsunami information. That field is not an all-clear and does not state whether a tsunami occurred. In this case, a damaging tsunami would be less likely because at M4.4 it falls below the magnitude 6.5 threshold that generally applies before a submarine earthquake displaces enough water to generate a damaging tsunami; it occurred inland rather than beneath the sea floor. For an active coastal alert, use tsunami.gov or your local warning authority.
Have there been aftershocks?
No further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event.
How often do earthquakes happen near Ōma?
202 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 7.6 event near Misawa on 08 December 2025. This M4.4 event released about 63,096 times less energy than that event.