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M5.0 Depth: 10.0 km

M5.0 Earthquake near Sulawesi Utara (Indonesia)

UTC time: 2026-03-31 03:37:49 UTC Local time: —

About this earthquake

A magnitude M5.0 earthquake was recorded near Sulawesi Utara (Indonesia) on March 31, 2026 at 03:37 UTC. 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 GFZ. Indonesia: over the past 24 hours, QuakeMap24 logged 82 earthquakes, the strongest at M4.6.

Details

Magnitude
M5.0
Depth
10.0 km
UTC time
2026-03-31 03:37:49 UTC
Local time
—
Country
Indonesia
State
Sulawesi Utara
City
Sulawesi Utara
Source
gfz
Coordinates
3.18000, 126.64000
Temperature
28.1°C

Map

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 (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
Taruna136.8 kmW35'307
Bitung256.2 kmSW225'134
General Santos364.5 kmNW722'059

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Banua Wuhu
    Distance: 133 km ·Complex ·Elevation: -5 m ·Last eruption: 1919 ·Indonesia
  • Karangetang
    Distance: 144 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'797 m ·Last eruption: 2023 ·Indonesia
  • Awu
    Distance: 144 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'318 m ·Last eruption: 2004 ·Indonesia
  • Ruang
    Distance: 172 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 703 m ·Last eruption: 2024 ·Indonesia
  • Tarakan
    Distance: 199 km ·Pyroclastic cone(s) ·Elevation: 317 m ·Indonesia
  • Tobaru
    Distance: 207 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'035 m ·Indonesia

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 hours8
Strongest subsequent eventM5.0
M4.72026-03-31 03:37:55 UTC26.9 kmSulawesi Utara M3.42026-03-31 05:30:53 UTC102.8 km M4.02026-04-01 09:44:12 UTC90.0 km M3.62026-04-01 18:29:10 UTC107.9 kmSulawesi Utara M4.82026-04-02 03:49:33 UTC67.1 kmTalaud Islands, Indonesia M4.72026-04-02 03:49:34 UTC35.3 km205 km NW of Tobelo, Indonesia M4.72026-04-02 03:49:34 UTC42.5 km M3.62026-04-02 18:23:30 UTC114.8 km M3.02026-04-03 05:34:23 UTC142.2 km M3.42026-04-03 08:44:51 UTC140.8 km M3.52026-04-03 10:17:48 UTC85.9 km M3.32026-04-04 05:38:16 UTC105.9 km

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#34
Earlier events M≥4188
Earlier events M≥543
Compared since2025-01-06

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

Strongest earlier events

M6.72026-01-10 14:58:26 UTC76.0 kmSulawesi Utara M6.72026-01-10 14:58:25 UTC77.1 kmSulawesi Utara M6.52026-01-10 14:58:26 UTC69.3 kmSulawesi Utara M6.42026-01-10 14:58:26 UTC68.8 kmSulawesi Utara M6.42026-01-10 14:58:23 UTC69.5 kmSulawesi Utara

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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