Magnitude 6.5 Earthquake Strikes Off Japan's Bonin Islands: 492 km Deep, USGS Rates Damage Risk at Lowest Level
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) recorded a magnitude 6.5 earthquake in the Bonin Islands region of Japan at 02:09 UTC on October 25 (11:09 a.m. Japan time). The epicenter was about 274 km south-southeast of Katsuura, Chiba Prefecture, at a depth of roughly 492.5 km.
The USGS PAGER system issued a green alert, its lowest level, estimating a 99 percent probability that economic losses would remain below $1 million and indicating a very low likelihood of fatalities. Maximum shaking intensity was measured at 2.9, and the agency received very few felt reports. No casualties or property damage had been reported as of publication.
The Bonin Islands lie about 1,000 km south of Tokyo in the Pacific Ocean and are administered as part of Tokyo Metropolis. Seismologists note that deep-focus earthquakes at depths near 500 km lose much of their energy before reaching the surface, so even a magnitude 6.5 event typically causes far less shaking and damage than a shallow quake of the same size. The USGS event ID is us6000u4r9.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：本次地震震度分布图。图片：美国地质调查局（USGS），公共领域。
