A strong Magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck in the Banda Sea 348 kilometer from Kendari, Indonesia in the late afternoon of Tuesday October 1st, 2024. Shaking may have been felt by a total of 80 thousand people. Another country near the epicenter is Timor-Leste.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the Banda Sea, 159 kilometers (99 mi) off the coast of Indonesia, 348 kilometer south-east of Kendari in Southeast Sulawesi. The center of this earthquake had a very deep depth of 588 km. Deep earthquakes usually have less impact than shallower earthquakes of similar strenght.
| Date and Time: | Oct 1, 2024 17:28 (Makassar Time) - Oct 1, 2024 09:28 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 294 km NNW of Dili, Díli, Timor-Leste. Coordinates 5°59'50"S 124°54'58"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 6.1 Detected by 37 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.051 . |
| Depth: | 588 km (365 mi) A very deep depth. |
| Max. Intensity: | III
Weak On the Modified Mercalli Scale. |
| Tsunami Risk: | Tsunami very unlikely Earthquakes under MAG-6.5 at depths deeper than 100km are very unlikely to cause tsunami's. Always stay cautious - More info here. |
Minimal impact predicted
Based on scientific estimates by the US Geographic Survey (USGS), the risk of high fatalities for this earthquake is classified at level GREEN (low). They expect an 65% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 fatalities, and a 96% chance that the number of fatalities falls no higher than 10.
The USGS classifies the economic impact of this earthquake at level GREEN (low). They expect an 65% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 million US Dollars in economic damage and impact, and a 96% chance that the economic impact of this earthquake falls no higher than 10 million USD.
Roughly 80 thousand people exposed to shaking
This earthquake may have been felt by around 80 thousand people. That is the expected population size of the area exposed to a level of shaking of II or higher on the Modified Mercalli scale according to the USGS.
Very weak shaking and no damage may have been experienced by an estimated 79,860 people. At II, it is the highest MMI level this earthquake has caused. All exposure to shaking was within the borders of Indonesia .
| People | MMI Level | Shaking | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13,390 | I |
Not noticable | None |
| 79,860 | II |
Very weak | None |
| 0 | III |
Weak | Probably none |
| 0 | IV |
Light | Likely none |
| 0 | V |
Moderate | Very light |
| 0 | VI |
Strong | Light |
| 0 | VII |
Very Strong | Moderate |
| 0 | VIII |
Severe | Moderate to heavy |
| 0 | IX |
Violent | Heavy |
| 0 | X |
Extreme | Very heavy |
Nearby towns and cities
This earthquake struck within proximity of multiple countries. Indonesia and Timor-Leste are both within 300km distance of its epicenter.
Located 275 kilometer (171 mi) east-southeast of the epicenter of this earthquake, Katobu (Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia) is the nearest significant population center.
An overview of nearby towns and cities is available in the overview below.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 275 km (171 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Katobu Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia. |
| 292 km (181 mi) S from epicenter |
Likisá Liquiçá, Timor-Leste. |
| 293 km (182 mi) S from epicenter |
Maubara Liquiçá, Timor-Leste. |
| 294 km (183 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Dili Díli, Timor-Leste. |
| 312 km (194 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Aileu Aileu, Timor-Leste. |
| 324 km (201 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Baukau Baucau, Timor-Leste. |
| 335 km (208 mi) S from epicenter |
Maliana Bobonaro, Timor-Leste. |
| 336 km (209 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Venilale Baucau, Timor-Leste. |
| 346 km (215 mi) S from epicenter |
Atambua East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. |
| 348 km (216 mi) NW from epicenter |
Kendari Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia. |
| 363 km (226 mi) SE from epicenter |
Lospalos Lautém, Timor-Leste. |
| 371 km (231 mi) S from epicenter |
Suai Cova Lima, Timor-Leste. |
| 387 km (240 mi) S from epicenter |
Kefamenanu East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. |
Earthquake Intensity Map
The intensity in shaking and damage by this earthquake is illustrated through the map below. The highest intensity measured for this earthquake is II.
Shaking reported by 3 people in 2 countries
People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 3 people have reported shaking in 3 places in 2 countries (Australia, Indonesia).We keep updating this article as more ground reports become available. You may report that you felt this earthquake here.
Places with most reports:
- Coonawarra, Northern Territory, Australia: 1 person.
- Broome, Western Australia, Australia: 1 person.
- Bau Bau, Sulawesi Tenggara, Indonesia: 1 person.
Risk of aftershocks?
We have not yet detected any foreshocks or aftershocks (MAG-2.5 or higher) within 100km (62 mi) of this earthquake.
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 are common in the region
Earthquakes of this strength occur quite regularly in the region. This is the strongest earthquake to hit since April 22nd, 2023, when a 6.2 magnitude earthquake hit 110 km (69 mi) further north-east. An even stronger magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck on August 21st, 2020.
In total, 7 earthquakes with a magnitude of 6.1 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 year.
Tsunami very unlikely
For a serious tsunami to occur, earthquakes usually need to have a magnitude of at least 6.5 and occur at a shallow depth of maximum 100km. Neither are the case with this earthquake. 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 under the sea. | Not this earthquake. This earthquake had a magnitude of 6.1. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
Not this earthquake. This earthquake occurred at a depth of 588 km (365 mi). Earthquakes this deep in the earth are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 29/11/24 18:48 (). As more information on this earthquake becomes available this article will be updated. This article is automatically composed based on data originating from multiple sources.
- US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us7000nhex
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20241001_0000075
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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