A significant M5.1 foreshock struck in the Sawu Sea 147 kilometer from Kupang, Indonesia in the early afternoon of Friday October 24th, 2025. Timor-Leste is also near its epicenter.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the Sawu Sea, 40 kilometers (25 mi) off the coast of Indonesia, 147 kilometer north of Kupang in East Nusa Tenggara. The center of this earthquake had an intermediate depth of 108 km.
| Date and Time: | Oct 24, 2025 12:46 (Makassar Time) - Oct 24, 2025 04:46 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 147 km north of Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. Coordinates 8°51'22"S 123°45'18"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.1 Detected by 74 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.072 . |
| Depth: | 108 km (67 mi) An intermediate depth. |
| Tsunami Risk: | Tsunami very unlikely Earthquakes under MAG-6.5 at depths deeper than 100km are very unlikely to cause tsunami's. Always stay cautious - More info here. |
Nearby towns and cities
This earthquake struck within proximity of multiple countries. Indonesia and Timor-Leste are both within 300km distance of its epicenter.
Located 103 kilometer (64 mi) northwest of the epicenter of this earthquake, Kefamenanu (East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia) is the nearest significant population center.
The table below provides an overview of all places in proximity of today's earthquake.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 103 km (64 mi) SE from epicenter |
Kefamenanu East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. |
| 126 km (78 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Soe East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. |
| 128 km (80 mi) ESE from epicenter |
Atambua East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. |
| 147 km (91 mi) S from epicenter |
Kupang East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. |
| 162 km (101 mi) E from epicenter |
Maliana Bobonaro, Timor-Leste. |
| 162 km (101 mi) E from epicenter |
Maubara Liquiçá, Timor-Leste. |
| 172 km (107 mi) W from epicenter |
Maumere East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. |
| 172 km (107 mi) ESE from epicenter |
Suai Cova Lima, Timor-Leste. |
| 177 km (110 mi) E from epicenter |
Likisá Liquiçá, Timor-Leste. |
| 200 km (124 mi) E from epicenter |
Aileu Aileu, Timor-Leste. |
| 203 km (126 mi) E from epicenter |
Dili Díli, Timor-Leste. |
| 230 km (143 mi) W from epicenter |
Ende East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. |
| 289 km (180 mi) E from epicenter |
Venilale Baucau, Timor-Leste. |
| 300 km (186 mi) E from epicenter |
Baukau Baucau, Timor-Leste. |
Shaking reported by 1 person
People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 1 person has reported shaking in one place in East Timor.We keep updating this article as more ground reports become available. You may report that you felt this earthquake here.
Places with most reports:
- Dili, Dili, East Timor: 1 person.
This is likely a foreshock
This earthquake was followed by a stronger MAG-6.2 earthquake, classifying this earthquake as a foreshock.
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreshock | M 3.0 |
5 days earlier Oct 21, 2025 20:09 (Makassar Time) | 20 km (12 mi) E from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 3.1 |
4 days earlier Oct 22, 2025 13:49 (Makassar Time) | 31 km (19 mi) E from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 3.0 |
3 days earlier Oct 24, 2025 01:53 (Makassar Time) | 66 km (41 mi) NNE from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 2.8 |
3 days earlier Oct 24, 2025 02:55 (Makassar Time) | 15 km (9 mi) ENE from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock This Earthquake |
M 5.1 |
3 days earlier Oct 24, 2025 12:46 (Makassar Time) | 22 km (13 mi) W from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 2.8 |
1 day earlier Oct 26, 2025 01:01 (Makassar Time) | 5 km (3 mi) WSW from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 3.1 |
21 hrs earlier Oct 26, 2025 04:01 (Makassar Time) | 15 km (9 mi) SSE from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 3.5 |
18 hrs earlier Oct 26, 2025 06:59 (Makassar Time) | 34 km (21 mi) E from Main Shock. |
| Main Shock | M 6.2 |
Oct 27, 2025 01:04 (Makassar Time) | - |
| Aftershock | M 4.2 |
21 mins later Oct 27, 2025 01:25 (Makassar Time) | 17 km (11 mi) S from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.6 |
30 mins later Oct 27, 2025 01:34 (Makassar Time) | 13 km (8 mi) SSW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 2.5 |
49 mins later Oct 27, 2025 01:53 (Makassar Time) | 20 km (12 mi) SE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 2.5 |
1 hr later Oct 27, 2025 02:13 (Makassar Time) | 22 km (14 mi) SSW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.7 |
1 hr later Oct 27, 2025 02:20 (Makassar Time) | 18 km (11 mi) SE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.6 |
1 hr later Oct 27, 2025 02:22 (Makassar Time) | 16 km (10 mi) S from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.2 |
2 hrs later Oct 27, 2025 02:59 (Makassar Time) | 23 km (14 mi) S from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.9 |
3 hrs later Oct 27, 2025 04:00 (Makassar Time) | 17 km (10 mi) S from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.3 |
7 hrs later Oct 27, 2025 08:20 (Makassar Time) | 25 km (16 mi) SSW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 2.6 |
9 hrs later Oct 27, 2025 10:09 (Makassar Time) | 17 km (11 mi) SSE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.1 |
19 hrs later Oct 27, 2025 19:56 (Makassar Time) | 83 km (52 mi) WNW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 2.8 |
23 hrs later Oct 28, 2025 00:00 (Makassar Time) | 17 km (11 mi) SSE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 2.9 |
1 day later Oct 28, 2025 04:54 (Makassar Time) | 18 km (11 mi) S from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.3 |
1 day later Oct 28, 2025 10:06 (Makassar Time) | 34 km (21 mi) SSW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 2.6 |
2 days later Oct 28, 2025 22:07 (Makassar Time) | 16 km (10 mi) SSE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 2.7 |
2 days later Oct 29, 2025 07:50 (Makassar Time) | 38 km (24 mi) SSE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 2.7 |
3 days later Oct 29, 2025 16:32 (Makassar Time) | 19 km (12 mi) S from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 2.6 |
3 days later Oct 29, 2025 20:41 (Makassar Time) | 14 km (8 mi) S 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.
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 August 12th, 2025, when a 5.4 magnitude earthquake hit 277 km (172 mi) further north-east. An even stronger magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck on December 14th, 2021.
In total, 50 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 2 months.
Tsunami very unlikely
For a serious tsunami to occur, earthquakes usually need to have a magnitude of at least 6.5 and occur at a shallow depth of maximum 100km. Neither are the case with this earthquake. 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 under 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 108 km (67 mi). Earthquakes this deep in the earth are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 09/11/25 06:08 (). 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 us6000rj23
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20251024_0000083
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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