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M5.6 Depth: 54.9 km

M5.6 Earthquake near 129 km E of Bitung, Indonesia (Indonesia)

UTC time: 2025-12-21 12:21:47 UTC Local time: —

About this earthquake

On December 21, 2025 at 12:21 UTC, a magnitude M5.6 earthquake occurred near 129 km E of Bitung, Indonesia (Indonesia). The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 55 km, increasing how strongly it was felt. Earthquakes of this magnitude can damage poorly built structures.

The event was recorded by USGS. Indonesia: 57 earthquakes were recorded in the past 24 hours, the strongest reaching M4.6.

Details

Magnitude
M5.6
Depth
54.9 km
UTC time
2025-12-21 12:21:47 UTC
Local time
—
Country
Indonesia
City
Maluku Utara
Source
usgs
Coordinates
1.46560, 126.28820
Temperature
28.8°C

Map

Nearby population centers

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

PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation
Bitung129.0 kmW225'134
General Santos531.4 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.

88%Similarity M5.72025-12-21 UTC 11.9 kmNorthern Molucca Sea ΔM 0.1Depth difference: 44.9 km 86%Similarity M5.02025-06-03 UTC 18.6 kmNorthern Molucca Sea ΔM 0.6Depth difference: 7.1 km 86%Similarity M4.92025-06-03 UTC 15.4 km120 km E of Bitung, Indonesia ΔM 0.7Depth difference: 1.5 km 85%Similarity M5.22025-07-14 UTC 27.7 km115 km WNW of Ternate, Indonesia ΔM 0.4Depth difference: 7.9 km 85%Similarity M4.92025-06-03 UTC 17.1 km ΔM 0.7Depth difference: 3.1 km

Subsequent earthquakes nearby

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

First 6 hours1
First 24 hours4
First 72 hours7
Strongest subsequent eventM5.6
M3.02025-12-21 12:38:42 UTC9.2 km M3.22025-12-22 03:51:24 UTC100.5 km M3.12025-12-22 04:36:14 UTC117.0 km M3.42025-12-22 10:05:15 UTC4.7 km M4.12025-12-22 18:48:16 UTC49.9 km M2.72025-12-22 20:15:16 UTC110.3 km M3.02025-12-23 05:35:00 UTC86.5 km M3.42025-12-25 08:50:51 UTC124.3 km M2.62025-12-25 20:48:37 UTC34.9 km M3.12025-12-26 09:30:57 UTC107.2 km M2.72025-12-26 10:23:28 UTC67.8 km M3.52025-12-26 17:10:34 UTC54.2 km

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#5
Earlier events M≥4187
Earlier events M≥548
Compared since2025-01-02

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 UTC95.8 kmNorthern Molucca Sea M5.92025-04-02 21:03:39 UTC89.3 km145 km WNW of Tobelo, Indonesia M5.82025-07-25 21:29:56 UTC97.5 km M5.72025-12-21 12:21:42 UTC11.9 kmNorthern Molucca Sea M5.52025-08-17 15:03:16 UTC110.1 km118 km WNW of Tobelo, Indonesia

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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