A significant MAG-5.2 earthquake struck in the Halmahera Sea 210 kilometer from Ternate, Indonesia in the late afternoon of Thursday September 19th, 2024.
Felt the earthquake? Share this article: 
Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the Halmahera Sea, right off the coast of Indonesia (3 mi offshore), 210 kilometer north-east of Ternate in North Maluku. The center of this earthquake had a quite shallow depth of 44 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.
| Date and Time: | Sep 19, 2024 16:45 (Jayapura Time) - Sep 19, 2024 07:45 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 210 km NE of Ternate, North Maluku, Indonesia. Coordinates 2°11'6"N 128°39'26"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.2 Detected by 11 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.093 . |
| Depth: | 44 km (27 mi) A quite shallow depth. |
| Tsunami Risk: | Low tsunami risk Earthquakes under MAG-6.5 do not usually cause tsunami's. Always stay cautious - More info here. |
Impact
The US Geographic Survey (USGS) describes the impact of this earthquake as follows:
At least six homes destroyed and 50 buildings damaged in Morotai.
Nearby towns and cities
This earthquake may have been felt in Indonesia . Located 202 kilometer (126 mi) north-east of the epicenter of this earthquake, Sofifi (North Maluku, Indonesia) is the nearest significant population center.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 202 km (126 mi) SW from epicenter |
Sofifi North Maluku, Indonesia. |
| 210 km (130 mi) SW from epicenter |
Ternate North Maluku, Indonesia. |
6 Aftershocks detected
Since this main shock, 6 smaller aftershocks were detected. At a distance of 31 km (19 mi) northwest of this earthquake, an aftershock struck 2 mins later. It measured a magnitude of 5.1
In the days before this main shock, 1 smaller foreshock was detected. A 4.3 magnitude earthquake hit 2 days earlier nearby.
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreshock | M 4.3 |
2 days earlier Sep 17, 2024 07:12 (Jayapura Time) | 63 km (39 mi) NNW from Main Shock. |
| Main Shock This Earthquake |
M 5.2 |
Sep 19, 2024 16:45 (Jayapura Time) | - |
| Aftershock | M 5.1 |
2 mins later Sep 19, 2024 16:47 (Jayapura Time) | 31 km (19 mi) NW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.6 |
11 mins later Sep 19, 2024 16:57 (Jayapura Time) | 26 km (16 mi) NE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.4 |
43 mins later Sep 19, 2024 17:28 (Jayapura Time) | 13 km (8 mi) NW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.7 |
56 mins later Sep 19, 2024 17:41 (Jayapura Time) | 13 km (8 mi) SSE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.1 |
4 hrs later Sep 19, 2024 20:20 (Jayapura Time) | 5 km (3 mi) NNE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.3 |
13 hrs later Sep 20, 2024 05:43 (Jayapura Time) | 5 km (2.9 mi) S from Main Shock. |
More earthquakes coming?
Earthquakes can create aftershocks. These are generally at least 1 magnitude lower than any main shock, and as time passes the chance and strength of aftershocks decreases.
It's always adviced to be cautious of the risk of a larger shock following any significant earthquake, however this risk is fairly small. There is a roughly 94 percent change that no larger main shock will follow in the days following this 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 August 26th, 2024, when a 5.3 magnitude earthquake hit 278 km (173 mi) further west-southwest. An even stronger magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck on November 14th, 2019.
In total, 121 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 30 days.
Low tsunami risk
Based on early data it appears this earthquake was not strong enough (lower than MAG-6.5) to be likely to cause destructive tsunami's. However this earthquake appeared to have hit at a shallow depth under sea, so 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 under 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 44 km (27 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 15/10/24 02:28 (). This article contains currently available information about the earthquake and is automatically composed. We continue to update this article up to a few days after the earthquake occurred.
- US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us6000nt0c
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20240919_0000059
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
Share this article:
