A significant Magnitude 5.1 earthquake struck under land 42 kilometer from Ruteng in Indonesia just before midnight of Thursday February 27th, 2025.
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Earthquake Summary
The earthquake struck on land in Indonesia, 42 kilometer (26 mi) east-northeast of Ruteng in East Nusa Tenggara. The center of this earthquake had an intermediate depth of 168 km.
| Date and Time: | Feb 27, 2025 23:52 (Makassar Time) - Feb 27, 2025 15:52 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 42 km ENE of Ruteng, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. Coordinates 8°24'37"S 120°46'58"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.1 Detected by 68 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.069 . |
| Depth: | 168 km (104 mi) An intermediate depth. |
| Tsunami Risk: | Tsunami very unlikely Tsunami's are usually caused by MAG-6.5+ earthquakes, less than 100km shallow, and with an epicenter under sea. Neither of this seems to be the case. Always stay cautious - More info here. |
Nearby towns and cities
This earthquake may have been felt in Indonesia . Located 42 kilometer (26 mi) east-northeast of the epicenter of this earthquake, Ruteng (East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia) is the nearest significant population center.
A complete list of nearby places is included below.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 42 km (26 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Ruteng East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. |
| 99 km (62 mi) W from epicenter |
Labuan Bajo East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. |
| 108 km (67 mi) ESE from epicenter |
Ende East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. |
| 150 km (93 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Waingapu East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. |
| 159 km (99 mi) E from epicenter |
Maumere East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. |
| 226 km (140 mi) W from epicenter |
Bima West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. |
| 255 km (158 mi) W from epicenter |
Dompu West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. |
Aftershocks detected
After this earthquake struck, 1 smaller aftershock occurred. Just 10 hrs after this main shock, an earthquake measuring MAG-2.6 was detected 85 km (53 mi) south of this earthquake.
This main shock was prefaced by 1 smaller foreshock. A 2.5 magnitude earthquake hit 2 days earlier nearby.
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreshock | M 2.5 |
2 days earlier Feb 26, 2025 09:41 (Makassar Time) | 92 km (57 mi) W from Main Shock. |
| Main Shock This Earthquake |
M 5.1 |
Feb 27, 2025 23:52 (Makassar Time) | - |
| Aftershock | M 2.6 |
10 hrs later Feb 28, 2025 10:16 (Makassar Time) | 85 km (53 mi) S from Main Shock. |
More earthquakes coming?
The risk of aftershocks decreases rapidly over time. Usually, aftershocks are at least one order of magnitude lower than a main shock.
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 March 24th, 2024, when a 5.7 magnitude earthquake hit 190 km (118 mi) further south-east. An even stronger magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck on December 14th, 2021.
In total, 44 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.1 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 3 months.
Tsunami very unlikely
It is very unlikely that this eartquake will cause any tsunami's. The reported magnitude is lower than the MAG-6.5 strength required to cause any earthquakes. In addition, this earthquake was not very shallow and appears to have occurred under land. 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 (7 km from the sea). | Not this earthquake. This earthquake had a magnitude of 5.1. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
Not this earthquake. This earthquake occurred at a depth of 168 km (104 mi). Earthquakes this deep in the earth are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 03/03/25 15:48 (). 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 us6000pvu2
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20250227_0000180
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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