A shallow and significant MAG-5.4 earthquake struck in the Seram Sea 271 kilometer from Sorong, Indonesia deep in the night of Monday April 21st, 2025. Shaking may have been felt by a total of 430 thousand people.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the Seram Sea, 25 kilometers (15 mi) off the coast of Indonesia, 271 kilometer south of Sorong in West Papua. The center of this earthquake had a very shallow depth of 10 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.
| Date and Time: | Apr 21, 2025 03:19 (Jayapura Time) - Apr 20, 2025 18:19 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 271 km south of Sorong, West Papua, Indonesia. Coordinates 3°18'4"S 130°59'15"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.4 Detected by 29 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.058 . |
| Depth: | 10 km (6 mi) A very shallow 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 430 thousand people exposed to shaking
The USGS has published a report estimating the number of people exposed to this earthquake. Acoording to their analysis, roughly 430 thousand have been exposed to shaking at an MMI level of II or higher.
Moderate shaking and very light damage may have been experienced by an estimated 1,720 people. At V, it is the highest MMI level this earthquake has caused. Intensity level III was experienced by the majority of people (around 310 thousand). In their region, weak shaking and probably no damage can be expected. All exposure to shaking was within the borders of Indonesia .
| People | MMI Level | Shaking | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | I |
Not noticable | None |
| 24,780 | II |
Very weak | None |
| 305,100 | III |
Weak | Probably none |
| 95,410 | IV |
Light | Likely none |
| 1,720 | 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 230 kilometer (143 mi) east of the epicenter of this earthquake, Amahai (Maluku, Indonesia) is the nearest significant population center.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 230 km (143 mi) W from epicenter |
Amahai Maluku, Indonesia. |
| 271 km (168 mi) N from epicenter |
Sorong West Papua, Indonesia. |
Earthquake Intensity Map
The maximum intensity (MMI Scale) caused by this earthquake is V. The map below shows in which areas this earthquake was the most and least impactful. It is based on data from the US Geographic Survey.
16 Aftershocks detected
Since this main shock, 16 smaller aftershocks were detected. Just 2 days after this main shock, an earthquake measuring MAG-4.9 was detected 18 km (11 mi) south of this earthquake.
Before this earthquake struck, 1 smaller foreshock occurred. Roughly 3 days before this earthquake, a foreshock measuring MAG-2.8 was detected nearby this earthquake.
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreshock | M 2.8 |
3 days earlier Apr 18, 2025 05:53 (Jayapura Time) | 97 km (61 mi) WNW from Main Shock. |
| Main Shock This Earthquake |
M 5.4 |
Apr 21, 2025 03:19 (Jayapura Time) | - |
| Aftershock | M 3.3 |
13 mins later Apr 21, 2025 03:33 (Jayapura Time) | 18 km (11 mi) NE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.1 |
3 hrs later Apr 21, 2025 06:31 (Jayapura Time) | 17 km (10 mi) ENE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 2.8 |
6 hrs later Apr 21, 2025 09:49 (Jayapura Time) | 29 km (18 mi) NE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.0 |
7 hrs later Apr 21, 2025 10:01 (Jayapura Time) | 18 km (11 mi) N from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.1 |
7 hrs later Apr 21, 2025 10:08 (Jayapura Time) | 17 km (10 mi) NE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.4 |
7 hrs later Apr 21, 2025 10:25 (Jayapura Time) | 19 km (12 mi) SE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.1 |
11 hrs later Apr 21, 2025 14:35 (Jayapura Time) | 22 km (14 mi) NNE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 2.8 |
21 hrs later Apr 22, 2025 00:04 (Jayapura Time) | 17 km (11 mi) E from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.1 |
21 hrs later Apr 22, 2025 00:18 (Jayapura Time) | 32 km (20 mi) NNE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.5 |
2 days later Apr 22, 2025 16:14 (Jayapura Time) | 20 km (12 mi) S from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.9 |
2 days later Apr 22, 2025 19:15 (Jayapura Time) | 18 km (11 mi) S from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 2.7 |
2 days later Apr 22, 2025 20:34 (Jayapura Time) | 14 km (9 mi) ENE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.7 |
2 days later Apr 22, 2025 20:52 (Jayapura Time) | 15 km (10 mi) ENE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.3 |
2 days later Apr 23, 2025 01:12 (Jayapura Time) | 20 km (12 mi) NE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 2.5 |
2 days later Apr 23, 2025 05:01 (Jayapura Time) | 14 km (9 mi) NE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 2.7 |
3 days later Apr 23, 2025 16:55 (Jayapura Time) | 17 km (11 mi) ENE 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.
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 March 17th, 2025, when a 5.8 magnitude earthquake hit 106 km (66 mi) further west-northwest. An even stronger magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck on December 9th, 2015.
In total, 30 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 4 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 10 km (6 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 17/05/25 21:38 (). 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 us6000q7ex
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20250420_0000205
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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