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M5.1 Depth: 78.0 km

M5.1 Earthquake near Northern Molucca Sea (Indonesia)

UTC time: 2025-12-18 05:30:18 UTC Local time: —

About this earthquake

A magnitude M5.1 earthquake was recorded near Northern Molucca Sea (Indonesia) on December 18, 2025 at 05:30 UTC. The earthquake originated at an intermediate depth of about 78 km. Earthquakes of this magnitude can damage poorly built structures.

The event was recorded by GFZ. Indonesia: over the past 24 hours, QuakeMap24 logged 58 earthquakes, the strongest at M4.6.

Details

Magnitude
M5.1
Depth
78.0 km
UTC time
2025-12-18 05:30:18 UTC
Local time
—
Country
Indonesia
City
Maluku Utara
Source
gfz
Coordinates
1.42000, 125.78000
Temperature
27.4°C

Map

Nearby population centers

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

PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation
Bitung72.5 kmW225'134
General Santos526.2 kmN722'059

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Similar earlier earthquakes

Earlier recorded earthquakes ranked by distance, magnitude, depth and country within 150 km. Similarity does not imply the same fault or a direct relationship.

93%Similarity M5.02025-10-19 UTC 13.4 kmNorthern Molucca Sea ΔM 0.1Depth difference: 10.0 km 88%Similarity M4.72025-10-19 UTC 13.9 km80 km E of Bitung, Indonesia ΔM 0.4Depth difference: 17.0 km 85%Similarity M4.92025-08-18 UTC 37.5 km ΔM 0.2Depth difference: 2.0 km 83%Similarity M4.92025-08-18 UTC 39.4 km59 km SE of Bitung, Indonesia ΔM 0.2Depth difference: 6.6 km 83%Similarity M5.32025-08-13 UTC 41.5 km58 km SE of Bitung, Indonesia ΔM 0.2Depth difference: 4.3 km

Subsequent earthquakes nearby

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

First 6 hours2
First 24 hours2
First 72 hours6
Strongest subsequent eventM5.7
M5.02025-12-18 05:30:19 UTC3.4 km M5.12025-12-18 05:30:20 UTC2.4 kmMaluku Utara M3.52025-12-20 09:34:37 UTC144.8 km M3.22025-12-20 11:40:08 UTC17.6 km M2.62025-12-20 14:29:22 UTC79.4 km M2.82025-12-21 03:17:11 UTC73.1 km M5.72025-12-21 12:21:42 UTC68.4 kmNorthern Molucca Sea M5.62025-12-21 12:21:47 UTC56.7 km129 km E of Bitung, Indonesia M3.02025-12-21 12:38:42 UTC63.4 km M3.42025-12-22 10:05:15 UTC61.3 km M4.12025-12-22 18:48:16 UTC9.6 km M3.02025-12-23 05:35:00 UTC138.3 km

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#15
Earlier events M≥4145
Earlier events M≥528
Compared since2025-01-03

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

Strongest earlier events

M6.12025-07-25 21:30:00 UTC145.7 kmNorthern Molucca Sea M5.92025-04-02 21:03:39 UTC133.6 km145 km WNW of Tobelo, Indonesia M5.82025-07-25 21:29:56 UTC146.1 km M5.52025-08-13 16:45:48 UTC42.9 kmNorthern Molucca Sea M5.42025-11-20 04:19:56 UTC149.7 km

Historic earthquake map · Indonesia

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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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