In the Maluku Sea 178 kilometer from Manado, Indonesia, a significant Magnitude 5.3 earthquake occurred in the evening of Monday November 17th, 2025.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the Maluku Sea, 30 kilometers (18 mi) off the coast of Indonesia, 178 kilometer south-southwest of Manado in North Sulawesi. The center of this earthquake had an intermediate depth of 111 km.
| Date and Time: | Nov 17, 2025 20:12 (Makassar Time) - Nov 17, 2025 12:12 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 178 km SSW of Manado, North Sulawesi, Indonesia. Coordinates 0°5'10"N 124°3'44"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.3 Detected by 25 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.062 . |
| Depth: | 111 km (69 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 may have been felt in Indonesia . The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Gorontalo in Gorontalo, Indonesia. Gorontalo is located 122 kilometer (76 mi) east-southeast of the epicenter.
The table below provides an overview of all places in proximity of today's earthquake.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 122 km (76 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Gorontalo Gorontalo, Indonesia. |
| 160 km (99 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Tomohon North Sulawesi, Indonesia. |
| 165 km (103 mi) NE from epicenter |
Tondano North Sulawesi, Indonesia. |
| 178 km (111 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Manado North Sulawesi, Indonesia. |
| 183 km (114 mi) SW from epicenter |
Luwuk Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. |
5 Aftershocks detected
This main shock was followed by 5 smaller aftershocks. A 3.6 magnitude earthquake hit 1 day later 50 km (31 mi) east-northeast of this earthquake.
In the days before this main shock, 3 smaller foreshocks were detected. Nearby this earthquake a foreshock struck 3 days earlier. It measured a magnitude of 3.2
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreshock | M 3.2 |
3 days earlier Nov 14, 2025 23:36 (Makassar Time) | 40 km (25 mi) S from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 2.6 |
2 days earlier Nov 15, 2025 14:06 (Makassar Time) | 99 km (61 mi) WSW from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 2.8 |
2 days earlier Nov 16, 2025 05:53 (Makassar Time) | 100 km (62 mi) WSW from Main Shock. |
| Main Shock This Earthquake |
M 5.3 |
Nov 17, 2025 20:12 (Makassar Time) | - |
| Aftershock | M 2.5 |
4 hrs later Nov 17, 2025 23:56 (Makassar Time) | 58 km (36 mi) W from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.6 |
5 hrs later Nov 18, 2025 01:41 (Makassar Time) | 81 km (50 mi) NW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.3 |
14 hrs later Nov 18, 2025 10:38 (Makassar Time) | 43 km (27 mi) WSW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.1 |
1 day later Nov 18, 2025 22:19 (Makassar Time) | 82 km (51 mi) WSW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.6 |
1 day later Nov 19, 2025 00:51 (Makassar Time) | 50 km (31 mi) ENE 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 November 4th, 2025, when a 5.9 magnitude earthquake hit 113 km (70 mi) further west. An even stronger magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck on July 7th, 2019.
In total, 84 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.3 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 month.
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 5.3. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
Not this earthquake. This earthquake occurred at a depth of 111 km (69 mi). Earthquakes this deep in the earth are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 14/12/25 15:48 (). 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 us6000rnql
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20251117_0000248
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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