6-Magnitude Quake Jolts Japan on New Year's Eve; No Casualties Reported

• A 6-magnitude earthquake struck Japan's eastern Noda region on New Year's Eve (December 31).
• The USGS reported the quake at a depth of 19.3 km; no casualties or tsunami warning issued.
• This follows a 7.5-magnitude quake earlier this month and a 6.7-magnitude tremor on December 8.
• Japan is highly earthquake-prone, experiencing 20% of the world's 6.0 or higher magnitude quakes.
• The country faced its most powerful 9.0-magnitude earthquake in 2011, which killed approximately 20,000 people.

Why It Matters: Japan hit by 6-magnitude quake on New Year's Eve; no casualties, but frequent tremors highlight seismic risk.