M4.4 earthquake near Nemuro, Hokkaido

What happened

A magnitude 4.4 earthquake struck 20 km NE of Shikotan, Russia on 1 Dec 2019, 23:36 UTC at a depth of 97 km.

Earthquakes of this size are classed as Light. Widely felt nearby; objects may shake or fall. Significant damage is unusual. This was an intermediate-depth earthquake, so shaking is spread over a wider, gentler area.

The nearest town in our records is Nemuro, about 126 km away in Hokkaido, Japan.