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Indonesia · North Maluku

M5.2 Earthquake near North Maluku (Indonesia)

UTC time: 2026-09-17 06:20:49 UTC Local time: —
Earthquake newsQuakeMap24
First published: Content updated:

Automatically generated from measurement data by QuakeMap24. Values may change after further analysis.

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M5.2 Earthquake near North Maluku (Indonesia) · 2026-09-17 — Map showing the location of the epicenter
M5.2 Earthquake near North Maluku (Indonesia) · 2026-09-17 — Map showing the location of the epicenter

About this earthquake

On September 17, 2026 at 06:20 UTC, a magnitude M5.2 earthquake occurred near North Maluku (Indonesia). The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 10 km, increasing how strongly it was felt. Earthquakes of this magnitude can damage poorly built structures.

The event was recorded by USGS. Indonesia: 36 earthquakes were recorded in the past 24 hours, the strongest reaching M5.2.

Details

ID
3a37f698d42353c320b9aeed3d131ac8eeaaa649
Magnitude
M5.2
Depth
10.0 km
UTC time
2026-09-17 06:20:49 UTC
Local time
—
Country
Indonesia
State
North Maluku
City
North Maluku
Source
usgs
Coordinates
1.31560, 126.30920
Temperature
26.9°C

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 10 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 10 km
Shallow
10 km
10 km — shallower than the regional average (43.6 km)
Regional average: 43.6 km
Why depth matters

Shallow quakes release energy near the surface — shaking is felt more strongly and damage potential is higher.

Depth classes per USGS

Tectonic context

Located on the Birds Head Plate.
Near the boundary Molucca Sea ↔ Sunda · about 4 km away

Nearby population centers

Distances are straight-line distances from the epicenter. Population data: GeoNames.

PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation
Ternate117.0 kmSE210'836
General Santos554.4 kmN722'059

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Hiri
    Distance: 121 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 687 m ·Indonesia
  • Gamalama
    Distance: 127 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 1'714 m ·Last eruption: 2018 ·Indonesia
  • Tangkoko-Duasudara
    Distance: 127 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'334 m ·Last eruption: 1880 ·Indonesia
  • Todoko-Ranu
    Distance: 128 km ·Caldera(s) ·Elevation: 979 m ·Indonesia
  • Jailolo
    Distance: 128 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 993 m ·Indonesia
  • Gamkonora
    Distance: 136 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'635 m ·Last eruption: 2007 ·Indonesia

Subsequent earthquakes nearby

Events recorded after this earthquake within 150 km. They are not automatically classified as aftershocks.

First 6 hours1
First 24 hours1
First 72 hours1
Strongest subsequent eventM3.8
M3.82026-09-17 12:12:55 UTC17.8 kmNorth Maluku

Comparison of seismic sources

4 sources currently report magnitudes from M5.0 to M5.2.

Measurements can differ because agencies use different networks and calculation methods. Values may be revised.

SourceMagnitudeDepthPosition difference
GFZM5.210.0 km13.7 km
USGSM5.210.0 km0.0 km
RESIFM5.010.0 km18.7 km
EMSCM5.245.0 km17.1 km

North Maluku

Context for this earthquake

17 Sep 2025 – 17 Sep 2026 · M ≥ 3.0 · 328 Catalogue entries

Of 327 other entries for this area and period, 11 have a higher stored magnitude. Different magnitude types and reports not yet merged limit the comparison.

Open seismic profile

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#82
Earlier events M≥4556
Earlier events M≥5177
Compared since2025-01-02

The QuakeMap24 comparison dataset begins on 2024-03-23. Earlier earthquakes may not be included.

Strongest earlier events

M7.82026-04-01 22:48:15 UTC7.9 kmMaluku Utara M7.52026-04-01 22:48:14 UTC27.0 kmMaluku Utara M7.42026-04-01 22:48:14 UTC24.2 kmMOLUCCA SEA M7.42026-04-01 22:48:13 UTC19.7 kmNorthern Molucca Sea M7.32026-04-01 22:48:15 UTC21.7 kmIndonesia [Sea]

Historic earthquake map · Indonesia

Open history map
Explore recent and long-term earthquake activity in this country. Use filters to narrow down by magnitude, depth, and date range.

Country statistics · Indonesia

Country overview
View earthquake KPIs, strongest and latest events, and averages for this country.

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