A significant M5.3 earthquake struck in the Indian Ocean 89 kilometer from Banda Aceh, Indonesia in the morning of Thursday February 20th, 2025.
Felt the earthquake? Share this article: 
Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the Indian Ocean, 61 kilometers (38 mi) off the coast of Indonesia, 89 kilometer southwest of Banda Aceh in Aceh. The center of this earthquake had an intermediate depth of 70 km.
| Date and Time: | Feb 20, 2025 10:19 (Jakarta Time) - Feb 20, 2025 03:19 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 89 km SW of Banda Aceh, Aceh, Indonesia. Coordinates 4°59'36"N 94°45'0"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.3 Detected by 123 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.052 . |
| Depth: | 70 km (44 mi) An intermediate depth. |
| Tsunami Risk: | Low tsunami risk Earthquakes under MAG-6.5 do not usually cause tsunami's. Always stay cautious - More info here. |
Nearby towns and cities
This earthquake may have been felt in Indonesia . Banda Aceh in Aceh, Indonesia is the nearest significant place from the epicenter. The earthquake occurred 89 kilometer (55 mi) southwest of Banda Aceh.
The table below provides an overview of all places in proximity of today's earthquake.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 89 km (55 mi) NE from epicenter |
Banda Aceh Aceh, Indonesia. |
| 118 km (73 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Sabang Aceh, Indonesia. |
| 141 km (88 mi) ENE from epicenter |
Sigli Aceh, Indonesia. |
| 172 km (107 mi) E from epicenter |
Reuleuet Aceh, Indonesia. |
| 179 km (111 mi) ESE from epicenter |
Meulaboh Aceh, Indonesia. |
| 217 km (135 mi) E from epicenter |
Bireun Aceh, Indonesia. |
| 267 km (166 mi) E from epicenter |
Lhokseumawe Aceh, Indonesia. |
Risk of aftershocks?
We monitor for foreshocks or aftershocks that have a magnitude of 2.5+ and occur within 100km (62 mi) of the epicenter of this earthquake. So far no such earthquakes have been detected.
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.
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 October 13th, 2024, when a 5.3 magnitude earthquake hit 76 km (47 mi) further northwest. An even stronger magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck on November 8th, 2015.
In total, 23 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.3 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.
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 5.3. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 70 km (44 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 22/02/25 03:48 (). 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 us7000pevu
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20250220_0000030
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
Share this article:
