A significant Magnitude 5.1 earthquake struck in the Banda Sea 233 kilometer from Lospalos, Timor-Leste in the early morning of Tuesday January 13th, 2026.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the Banda Sea, 199 kilometers (124 mi) off the coast of Timor-Leste, 233 kilometer east-northeast of Lospalos in Lautém. The center of this earthquake had an intermediate depth of 102 km.
| Date and Time: | Jan 13, 2026 06:59 (Dili Time) - Jan 12, 2026 21:59 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 233 km ENE of Lospalos, Lautém, Timor-Leste. Coordinates 7°30'31"S 128°51'16"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.1 Detected by 94 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.059 . |
| Depth: | 102 km (63 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 Timor-Leste . Lospalos in Lautém, Timor-Leste is the nearest significant place from the epicenter. The earthquake occurred 233 kilometer (145 mi) east-northeast of Lospalos.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 233 km (145 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Lospalos Lautém, Timor-Leste. |
| 285 km (177 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Baukau Baucau, Timor-Leste. |
Aftershocks detected
Since this main shock, 1 smaller aftershock was detected. A 4.2 magnitude earthquake hit 2 days later 68 km (42 mi) north-east of this earthquake.
Before this earthquake struck, 4 smaller foreshocks occurred. Roughly 2 days before this earthquake, a foreshock measuring MAG-4.2 was detected nearby this earthquake.
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreshock | M 4.2 |
2 days earlier Jan 11, 2026 12:07 (Dili Time) | 18 km (11 mi) S from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 4.0 |
1 day earlier Jan 11, 2026 22:18 (Dili Time) | 28 km (18 mi) WNW from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 4.0 |
11 hrs earlier Jan 12, 2026 20:25 (Dili Time) | 75 km (46 mi) WSW from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 4.1 |
7 mins earlier Jan 13, 2026 06:52 (Dili Time) | 76 km (47 mi) ENE from Main Shock. |
| Main Shock This Earthquake |
M 5.1 |
Jan 13, 2026 06:59 (Dili Time) | - |
| Aftershock | M 4.2 |
2 days later Jan 15, 2026 13:52 (Dili Time) | 68 km (42 mi) NE 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 January 1st, 2026, when a 5.4 magnitude earthquake hit 159 km (99 mi) further north-east. An even stronger magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck on January 9th, 2023.
In total, 105 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 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 5.1. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
Not this earthquake. This earthquake occurred at a depth of 102 km (63 mi). Earthquakes this deep in the earth are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 18/01/26 21:58 (). This article is automatically generated based on available data. We keep checking multiple sources for additional information. This article gets updated as new details on this earthquake become available.
- US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us7000rp9r
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260112_0000333
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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