A significant MAG-5.2 earthquake struck under land 32 kilometer from Kupang in Indonesia in the morning of Sunday November 12th, 2023. Another nearby country is Timor-Leste.
Felt the earthquake? Share this article: 
Earthquake Summary
The earthquake struck on land in Indonesia, 32 kilometer (20 mi) north-northeast of Kupang in East Nusa Tenggara. The center of this earthquake had a quite shallow depth of 30 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.
| Date and Time: | Nov 12, 2023 10:06 (Makassar Time) - Nov 12, 2023 02:06 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 32 km NNE of Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. Coordinates 9°54'8"S 123°41'58"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.2 Detected by 10 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.098 . |
| Depth: | 30 km (19 mi) A quite shallow depth. |
| Tsunami Risk: | Tsunami very unlikely While this was a shallow earthquake in a coastal area, it appears to have occurred under land (6 km from the sea) with a magnitude that is usually not strong enough to cause tsunami's. Always stay cautious - More info here. |
Nearby towns and cities
2 countries can be found within 300km of the epicenter of this earthquake: Indonesia and Timor-Leste .
The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Kupang in East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. Kupang is located 32 kilometer (20 mi) north-northeast of the epicenter.
An overview of nearby towns and cities is available in the overview below.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 32 km (20 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Kupang East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. |
| 64 km (40 mi) E from epicenter |
Soe East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. |
| 99 km (62 mi) ENE from epicenter |
Kefamenanu East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. |
| 158 km (98 mi) NE from epicenter |
Atambua East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. |
| 183 km (114 mi) ENE from epicenter |
Suai Cova Lima, Timor-Leste. |
| 195 km (121 mi) ENE from epicenter |
Maliana Bobonaro, Timor-Leste. |
| 217 km (135 mi) NW from epicenter |
Maumere East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. |
| 219 km (136 mi) NE from epicenter |
Maubara Liquiçá, Timor-Leste. |
| 232 km (144 mi) NE from epicenter |
Likisá Liquiçá, Timor-Leste. |
| 243 km (151 mi) ENE from epicenter |
Aileu Aileu, Timor-Leste. |
| 253 km (157 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Ende East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. |
| 254 km (158 mi) NE from epicenter |
Dili Díli, Timor-Leste. |
2 Aftershocks detected
Since this main shock, 2 smaller aftershocks were detected. Just 16 hrs after this main shock, an earthquake measuring MAG-3.4 was detected 20 km (12 mi) south of this earthquake.
This main shock was prefaced by 6 smaller foreshocks. A 4.6 magnitude earthquake hit 6 hrs earlier nearby.
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreshock | M 2.8 |
2 days earlier Nov 10, 2023 00:25 (Makassar Time) | 76 km (47 mi) N from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 3.4 |
2 days earlier Nov 10, 2023 12:22 (Makassar Time) | 47 km (29 mi) SW from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 3.0 |
2 days earlier Nov 10, 2023 17:52 (Makassar Time) | 87 km (54 mi) N from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 3.2 |
7 hrs earlier Nov 12, 2023 02:36 (Makassar Time) | 24 km (15 mi) S from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 4.6 |
6 hrs earlier Nov 12, 2023 04:07 (Makassar Time) | 23 km (14 mi) SSW from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 4.6 |
6 hrs earlier Nov 12, 2023 04:07 (Makassar Time) | 23 km (14 mi) SSW from Main Shock. |
| Main Shock This Earthquake |
M 5.2 |
Nov 12, 2023 10:06 (Makassar Time) | - |
| Aftershock | M 3.4 |
16 hrs later Nov 13, 2023 02:17 (Makassar Time) | 20 km (12 mi) S from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 2.6 |
2 days later Nov 14, 2023 08:36 (Makassar Time) | 26 km (16 mi) NW from Main Shock. |
More earthquakes coming?
Aftershocks are usually at least 1 order of magnitude less strong than main shocks. The more time passes, the smaller the chance and likely strength of any potential aftershocks.
In only six percent of cases, significant earthquakes are followed by a larger main shock, making the current earthquake a foreshock. While the chance of this happening is not so large, it is adviced to maintain cautiousness in the hours and days following a major earthquake.
Read: How to Stay Safe during an Earthquake (cdc.gov).Earthquakes like this happen often in the region
Earthquakes of this strength are very common in the region. This is the strongest earthquake to hit since November 1st, 2023, when a 6.1 magnitude earthquake hit 16 km (10 mi) further south-southeast. An even stronger magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck on November 4th, 2015.
In total, 24 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.2 or higher have been registered within 300km (186 mi) of this epicenter in the past 10 years. This comes down to an average of once every 5 months.
Tsunami very unlikely
While MAG-6.5+ earthquakes may cause tsunami's, it appears that the epicenter of this earthquake hit under land. In addition, the reported depth is deeper than 100km, making the risk of a tsunami even less likely. However always stay cautious and monitor advice from local authorities.
Tsunami Risk Factors
| Factor | Under Sea? | MAG-6.5 or stronger? | Shallow depth? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Explanation | Almost all tsunami's are caused by earthquakes with their epicenter under sea or very near the sea. However stay cautious in coastal areas as earthquakes on land may cause landslides into sea, potentially still causing a local tsunami. | Under MAG 6.5: Very unlikely to cause a tsunami. MAG 6.5 to 7.5: Destructive tsunami's do occur, but are uncommon. Likely to observe small sea level changes. MAG 7.6+: Earthquakes with these magnitudes might produce destructive tsunami's. |
Most destructive tsunami's are caused by shallow earthquakes with a depth between 0 and 100km under the surface of the earth. Deeper tsunami's are unlikely to displace to ocean floor. |
| This Earthquake | This earthquake appears to have struck on land near a coastal area (6 km from the sea). | Not this earthquake. This earthquake had a magnitude of 5.2. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 30 km (19 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 08/12/23 05:48 (). This article is automatically generated based on available data. We keep checking multiple sources for additional information. This article gets updated as new details on this earthquake become available.
- US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us7000laer
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20231112_0000012
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
Share this article:
