A shallow and significant MAG-5.2 foreshock struck in the Andaman Or Burma Sea 71 kilometer from Banda Aceh, Indonesia in the early afternoon of Friday July 4th, 2025.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the Andaman Or Burma Sea, 32 kilometers (20 mi) off the coast of Indonesia, 71 kilometer north-northwest of Banda Aceh in Aceh. 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: | Jul 4, 2025 12:33 (Jakarta Time) - Jul 4, 2025 05:33 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 71 km NNW of Banda Aceh, Aceh, Indonesia. Coordinates 6°5'1"N 94°59'15"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.2 Detected by 8 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.11 . |
| Depth: | 10 km (6 mi) A very shallow 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 . Sabang in Aceh, Indonesia is the nearest significant place from the epicenter. The earthquake occurred 42 kilometer (26 mi) west-northwest of Sabang.
A complete list of nearby places is included below.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 42 km (26 mi) ESE from epicenter |
Sabang Aceh, Indonesia. |
| 71 km (44 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Banda Aceh Aceh, Indonesia. |
| 133 km (83 mi) SE from epicenter |
Sigli Aceh, Indonesia. |
| 173 km (107 mi) ESE from epicenter |
Reuleuet Aceh, Indonesia. |
| 213 km (132 mi) ESE from epicenter |
Bireun Aceh, Indonesia. |
| 250 km (155 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Meulaboh Aceh, Indonesia. |
| 260 km (162 mi) ESE from epicenter |
Lhokseumawe Aceh, Indonesia. |
This is likely a foreshock
This earthquake was followed by a stronger MAG-5.5 earthquake, classifying this earthquake as a foreshock.
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreshock This Earthquake |
M 5.2 |
2 days earlier Jul 4, 2025 12:33 (Jakarta Time) | 23 km (14 mi) SW from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 4.6 |
2 days earlier Jul 4, 2025 12:39 (Jakarta Time) | 40 km (25 mi) WSW from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 3.4 |
2 days earlier Jul 4, 2025 12:48 (Jakarta Time) | 17 km (10 mi) WSW from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 3.9 |
2 days earlier Jul 4, 2025 12:50 (Jakarta Time) | 30 km (19 mi) WSW from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 3.3 |
2 days earlier Jul 4, 2025 12:52 (Jakarta Time) | 19 km (12 mi) WSW from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 2.7 |
2 days earlier Jul 4, 2025 12:56 (Jakarta Time) | 14 km (9 mi) SSW from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 4.7 |
2 days earlier Jul 4, 2025 13:19 (Jakarta Time) | 40 km (25 mi) SW from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 3.1 |
2 days earlier Jul 4, 2025 13:21 (Jakarta Time) | 7 km (5 mi) S from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 3.5 |
2 days earlier Jul 4, 2025 14:09 (Jakarta Time) | 20 km (13 mi) SW from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 3.8 |
2 days earlier Jul 4, 2025 14:36 (Jakarta Time) | 5 km (3 mi) SW from Main Shock. |
| Main Shock | M 5.5 |
Jul 6, 2025 02:42 (Jakarta Time) | - |
| Aftershock | M 3.8 |
20 mins later Jul 6, 2025 03:02 (Jakarta Time) | 11 km (7 mi) WSW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.3 |
30 mins later Jul 6, 2025 03:12 (Jakarta Time) | 6 km (4 mi) SSW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.2 |
37 mins later Jul 6, 2025 03:19 (Jakarta Time) | 19 km (12 mi) SSW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.6 |
41 mins later Jul 6, 2025 03:23 (Jakarta Time) | 30 km (19 mi) WSW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.5 |
44 mins later Jul 6, 2025 03:25 (Jakarta Time) | 28 km (17 mi) SW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.3 |
1 hr later Jul 6, 2025 03:48 (Jakarta Time) | 14 km (9 mi) SW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.2 |
1 hr later Jul 6, 2025 04:06 (Jakarta Time) | 29 km (18 mi) S from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.3 |
1 hr later Jul 6, 2025 04:10 (Jakarta Time) | 35 km (21 mi) S from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.1 |
2 hrs later Jul 6, 2025 04:13 (Jakarta Time) | 16 km (10 mi) SSW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.2 |
4 hrs later Jul 6, 2025 06:34 (Jakarta Time) | 4 km (2.4 mi) NNE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.0 |
4 hrs later Jul 6, 2025 06:48 (Jakarta Time) | 21 km (13 mi) WSW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.6 |
6 hrs later Jul 6, 2025 08:33 (Jakarta Time) | 20 km (12 mi) W from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.6 |
6 hrs later Jul 6, 2025 08:42 (Jakarta Time) | 8 km (5 mi) E from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.5 |
7 hrs later Jul 6, 2025 09:26 (Jakarta Time) | 31 km (19 mi) NE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.6 |
10 hrs later Jul 6, 2025 13:08 (Jakarta Time) | 8 km (5 mi) NNW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.3 |
11 hrs later Jul 6, 2025 13:23 (Jakarta Time) | 10 km (6 mi) WSW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.8 |
13 hrs later Jul 6, 2025 15:52 (Jakarta Time) | 13 km (8 mi) WSW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.5 |
19 hrs later Jul 6, 2025 21:52 (Jakarta Time) | 30 km (18 mi) WSW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.4 |
21 hrs later Jul 6, 2025 23:18 (Jakarta Time) | 47 km (29 mi) SSW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.7 |
22 hrs later Jul 7, 2025 00:45 (Jakarta Time) | 7 km (4 mi) SE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.3 |
1 day later Jul 7, 2025 09:34 (Jakarta Time) | 14 km (9 mi) SSE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.1 |
1 day later Jul 7, 2025 13:04 (Jakarta Time) | 53 km (33 mi) SW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.7 |
2 days later Jul 8, 2025 01:11 (Jakarta Time) | 12 km (8 mi) WSW from Main Shock. |
More earthquakes coming?
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 happen often in the region
Earthquakes of this strength are very common in the region. This is the strongest earthquake to hit since March 12th, 2025, when a 6 magnitude earthquake hit 286 km (178 mi) further west-northwest. An even stronger magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck on November 8th, 2015.
In total, 24 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.2 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 5.2. 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 20/07/25 00:48 (). This article contains currently available information about the earthquake and is automatically composed. We continue to update this article up to a few days after the earthquake occurred.
- US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us7000qal5
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20250704_0000052
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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