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M5.4 Depth: 23.0 km

M5.4 Earthquake near Northern Sumatra, Indonesia (Indonesia)

UTC time: 2025-12-09 07:02:56 UTC Local time: —

About this earthquake

A magnitude M5.4 earthquake was recorded near Northern Sumatra, Indonesia (Indonesia) on December 9, 2025 at 07:02 UTC. The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 23 km, increasing how strongly it was felt. Earthquakes of this magnitude can damage poorly built structures.

The event was recorded by GFZ. Indonesia: 51 earthquakes were recorded in the past 24 hours, the strongest reaching M4.7.

Details

Magnitude
M5.4
Depth
23.0 km
UTC time
2025-12-09 07:02:56 UTC
Local time
—
Country
Indonesia
City
Aceh
Source
gfz
Coordinates
2.63000, 96.08000
Temperature
27.5°C

Map

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 23 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 23 km
Shallow
23 km
23 km — shallower than the regional average (49.6 km)
Regional average: 49.6 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

Nearby population centers

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

PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation
Blang Pidie149.2 kmNE24'085
Subulussalam200.3 kmE105'553
Medan306.1 kmE2'486'283

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Telong, Bur ni
    Distance: 252 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'617 m ·Last eruption: 1937 ·Indonesia
  • Peuet Sague
    Distance: 254 km ·Complex ·Elevation: 2'785 m ·Last eruption: 2000 ·Indonesia
  • Sinabung
    Distance: 264 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'460 m ·Last eruption: 2021 ·Indonesia
  • Singkut
    Distance: 278 km ·Caldera(s) ·Elevation: 2'181 m ·Last eruption: 1881 ·Indonesia
  • Sorikmarapi
    Distance: 441 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'145 m ·Last eruption: 1986 ·Indonesia
  • Malintang
    Distance: 465 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'988 m ·Indonesia

Subsequent earthquakes nearby

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

First 6 hours0
First 24 hours0
First 72 hours1
Strongest subsequent eventM4.1
M3.52025-12-10 14:00:56 UTC21.8 kmSIMEULUE, INDONESIA M3.02025-12-12 14:42:03 UTC137.6 kmNORTHERN SUMATRA, INDONESIA M2.82025-12-13 07:16:06 UTC149.3 kmNORTHERN SUMATRA, INDONESIA M3.62025-12-15 14:32:03 UTC36.1 kmSIMEULUE, INDONESIA M4.12025-12-18 13:48:02 UTC31.1 kmSIMEULUE, INDONESIA M3.52025-12-22 11:09:53 UTC21.4 kmSIMEULUE, INDONESIA M3.02025-12-23 08:20:42 UTC137.5 kmOFF W COAST OF NORTHERN SUMATRA M2.52025-12-31 20:31:47 UTC129.1 kmNORTHERN SUMATRA, INDONESIA M3.02026-01-04 01:37:31 UTC146.1 kmNORTHERN SUMATRA, INDONESIA M2.62026-01-04 15:17:18 UTC117.6 kmNORTHERN SUMATRA, INDONESIA M2.52026-01-07 09:36:47 UTC70.2 kmAceh M2.72026-01-07 12:02:24 UTC93.3 kmAceh

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#13
Earlier events M≥455
Earlier events M≥520
Compared since2025-01-06

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

Strongest earlier events

M6.62025-11-27 04:56:27 UTC9.1 km45 km WNW of Sinabang, Indonesia M6.62025-11-27 04:56:27 UTC22.7 kmNorthern Sumatera, Indonesia [Sea: Indonesia] M6.62025-11-27 04:56:25 UTC17.9 kmSIMEULUE, INDONESIA M6.42025-11-27 04:56:25 UTC18.1 kmOff West Coast of Northern Sumatra M6.22025-08-23 12:24:52 UTC89.5 km54 km SE of Sinabang, Indonesia

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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