Under land 96 kilometer from Banda Aceh in Indonesia, a shallow and significant M5.1 earthquake occurred in the early morning of Tuesday October 28th, 2025.
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Earthquake Summary
The earthquake struck on land in Indonesia, 96 kilometer (60 mi) south-east 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: | Oct 28, 2025 06:35 (Jakarta Time) - Oct 27, 2025 23:35 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 96 km SE of Banda Aceh, Aceh, Indonesia. Coordinates 4°55'59"N 95°57'16"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.1 Detected by 71 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.067 . |
| Depth: | 10 km (6 mi) A very shallow depth. |
| Tsunami Risk: | Tsunami very unlikely While this was a shallow earthquake, it appears to have occurred under land with a magnitude not strong enough to cause tsunami's. Always stay cautious - More info here. |
Nearby towns and cities
This earthquake may have been felt in Indonesia . Located 48 kilometer (30 mi) southwest of the epicenter of this earthquake, Reuleuet (Aceh, Indonesia) is the nearest significant population center.
An overview of nearby towns and cities is available in the overview below.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 48 km (30 mi) NE from epicenter |
Reuleuet Aceh, Indonesia. |
| 50 km (31 mi) N from epicenter |
Sigli Aceh, Indonesia. |
| 88 km (55 mi) ENE from epicenter |
Bireun Aceh, Indonesia. |
| 90 km (56 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Meulaboh Aceh, Indonesia. |
| 96 km (60 mi) NW from epicenter |
Banda Aceh Aceh, Indonesia. |
| 128 km (80 mi) NW from epicenter |
Sabang Aceh, Indonesia. |
| 135 km (84 mi) ENE from epicenter |
Lhokseumawe Aceh, Indonesia. |
| 229 km (142 mi) ESE from epicenter |
Langsa Aceh, Indonesia. |
| 277 km (172 mi) ESE from epicenter |
Pangkalan Brandan North Sumatra, Indonesia. |
| 285 km (177 mi) ESE from epicenter |
Tanjungtiram North Sumatra, Indonesia. |
3 Aftershocks detected
Since this main shock, 3 smaller aftershocks were detected. At a distance of 13 km (8 mi) east-southeast of this earthquake, an aftershock struck 3 days later. It measured a magnitude of 3.1
Before this earthquake struck, 1 smaller foreshock occurred. Nearby this earthquake a foreshock struck 3 days earlier. It measured a magnitude of 4.6
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreshock | M 4.6 |
3 days earlier Oct 25, 2025 11:56 (Jakarta Time) | 84 km (52 mi) SE from Main Shock. |
| Main Shock This Earthquake |
M 5.1 |
Oct 28, 2025 06:35 (Jakarta Time) | - |
| Aftershock | M 2.5 |
20 hrs later Oct 29, 2025 02:31 (Jakarta Time) | 13 km (8 mi) ESE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 2.5 |
2 days later Oct 30, 2025 00:28 (Jakarta Time) | 17 km (10 mi) ESE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.1 |
3 days later Oct 30, 2025 21:47 (Jakarta Time) | 13 km (8 mi) ESE 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.
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 July 5th, 2025, when a 5.5 magnitude earthquake hit 178 km (111 mi) further north-northwest. An even stronger magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck on November 8th, 2015.
In total, 31 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 4 months.
Tsunami very unlikely
While MAG-6.5+ earthquakes may cause tsunami's, it appears that the epicenter of this earthquake hit under land. In addition, the reported depth is deeper than 100km, making the risk of a tsunami even less likely. 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 | Not this earthquake. This earthquake appears to have struck on land far from any coast. |
Not this earthquake. This earthquake had a magnitude of 5.1. 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 09/11/25 00:08 (). 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 us6000rjtw
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20251027_0000372
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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