In the evening of Friday March 7th, 2025, a significant Magnitude 5.4 earthquake hit in the Indian Ocean 70 kilometer from Banda Aceh, Indonesia. Around 2 million people have been exposed to shaking.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the Indian Ocean, 57 kilometers (36 mi) off the coast of Indonesia, 70 kilometer west of Banda Aceh in Aceh. The center of this earthquake had an intermediate depth of 73 km.
| Date and Time: | Mar 7, 2025 19:42 (Jakarta Time) - Mar 7, 2025 12:42 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 70 km west of Banda Aceh, Aceh, Indonesia. Coordinates 5°27'19"N 94°42'37"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.4 Detected by 203 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.041 . |
| Depth: | 73 km (45 mi) An intermediate depth. |
| Max. Intensity: | V
Moderate On the Modified Mercalli Scale. |
| Tsunami Risk: | Low tsunami risk Earthquakes under MAG-6.5 do not usually 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 2 million people exposed to shaking
The USGS has published a report estimating the number of people exposed to this earthquake. Acoording to their analysis, roughly 2 million have been exposed to shaking at an MMI level of II or higher.
The highest earthquake impact level for this earthquake is IV, which corresponds with light shaking and likely no damage. Roughly 871,000 people are expected to be exposed to this level. The majority of people (roughly 1.1 million) live in an area exposed to level III, where weak shaking and probably no damage is expected.
People in 2 countries have been exposed to shaking. In Indonesia , around 2 million people, with impact levels up to IV (light shaking, likely no damage). People were exposed to shaking in India as well.
| People | MMI Level | Shaking | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | I |
Not noticable | None |
| 2,880 | II |
Very weak | None |
| 1,091,000 | III |
Weak | Probably none |
| 871,000 | 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 may have been felt in Indonesia . Located 70 kilometer (43 mi) west of the epicenter of this earthquake, Banda Aceh (Aceh, Indonesia) is the nearest significant population center. The intensity of shaking and damage in Banda Aceh is estimated to be around level IV on the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale (light shaking, likely no damage).
The table below provides an overview of all places in proximity of today's earthquake. Where available, the estimated intensity on the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale in each place is included. Places where this information is omitted likely experienced little impact.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place | Intensity (MMI) |
|---|---|---|
| 70 km (43 mi) E from epicenter |
Banda Aceh Aceh, Indonesia. |
IV
Light |
| 83 km (52 mi) NE from epicenter |
Sabang Aceh, Indonesia. |
III
Weak |
| 139 km (86 mi) E from epicenter |
Sigli Aceh, Indonesia. |
IV
Light |
| 176 km (109 mi) E from epicenter |
Reuleuet Aceh, Indonesia. |
III
Weak |
| 214 km (133 mi) SE from epicenter |
Meulaboh Aceh, Indonesia. |
III
Weak |
| 222 km (138 mi) E from epicenter |
Bireun Aceh, Indonesia. |
|
| 272 km (169 mi) E from epicenter |
Lhokseumawe Aceh, Indonesia. |
Earthquake Intensity Map
The graph below overlays a map of the region around the epicenter with earthquake intensity data provided by the US Geographic Survey. The highest intensity level detected for this earthquake is IV.
Risk of aftershocks?
We have not yet detected any foreshocks or aftershocks (MAG-2.5 or higher) within 100km (62 mi) of this earthquake.
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.
The chance that a significant earthquake like this one is followed by an even larger earthquake is not so large. On average, scientists estimate a 94% chance that a major earthquake will not be followed by an even larger one. It is still adviced to be aware of this risk
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 September 23rd, 2022, when a 6.2 magnitude earthquake hit 236 km (146 mi) further south-east. An even stronger magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck on November 8th, 2015.
In total, 14 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.4 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 9 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 5.4. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 73 km (45 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 14/03/25 12:48 (). 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 us6000pxef
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20250307_0000141
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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