The May 30, 2015 Magnitude 7.8 earthquake WNW of Chichi-shima, Japan occurred as the result of oblique-normal faulting at a depth of over 660 km beneath the Pacific Ocean. The earthquake is located within the interior of the Pacific plate that subducts beneath Japan starting at the Izu trench, several hundred kilometers to the east of the event (and at the surface of the Earth).
At the location of the earthquake, the Pacific plate moves approximately westwards with respect to the Philippine Sea plate at the rate of 39 mm/yr. This earthquake occurred in response to stresses generated by the slow distortion of the Pacific plate at the depth, rather than occurring on the interface between the Pacific plate and the overriding Philippine Sea plate.
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