A significant M5.2 earthquake struck in the Maluku Sea 240 kilometer from Manado, Indonesia in the morning of Tuesday January 13th, 2026.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the Maluku Sea, 91 kilometers (56 mi) off the coast of Indonesia, 240 kilometer north-east of Manado in North Sulawesi. The center of this earthquake had a quite shallow depth of 52 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.
| Date and Time: | Jan 13, 2026 09:27 (Makassar Time) - Jan 13, 2026 01:27 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 240 km NE of Manado, North Sulawesi, Indonesia. Coordinates 2°50'57"N 126°31'15"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.2 Detected by 125 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.051 . |
| Depth: | 52 km (32 mi) A quite 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 . Located 240 kilometer (149 mi) north-east of the epicenter of this earthquake, Manado (North Sulawesi, Indonesia) is the nearest significant population center.
A complete list of nearby places is included below.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 240 km (149 mi) SW from epicenter |
Manado North Sulawesi, Indonesia. |
| 248 km (154 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Ternate North Maluku, Indonesia. |
| 248 km (154 mi) SW from epicenter |
Tondano North Sulawesi, Indonesia. |
| 256 km (159 mi) SW from epicenter |
Tomohon North Sulawesi, Indonesia. |
| 262 km (163 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Sofifi North Maluku, Indonesia. |
29 Aftershocks detected
After this earthquake struck, 29 smaller aftershocks occurred. Just 8 mins after this main shock, an earthquake measuring MAG-5.2 was detected 10 km (6 mi) east-northeast of this earthquake.
Before this earthquake struck, 6 smaller foreshocks occurred. Nearby this earthquake a foreshock struck 8 mins earlier. It measured a magnitude of 6.4
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreshock | M 2.9 |
3 days earlier Jan 8, 2026 00:10 (Makassar Time) | 54 km (34 mi) NW from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 2.8 |
2 days earlier Jan 8, 2026 21:55 (Makassar Time) | 94 km (59 mi) SE from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 3.9 |
2 days earlier Jan 9, 2026 02:53 (Makassar Time) | 25 km (16 mi) WNW from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 3.2 |
15 hrs earlier Jan 10, 2026 07:57 (Makassar Time) | 52 km (32 mi) SSE from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 3.2 |
9 hrs earlier Jan 10, 2026 13:59 (Makassar Time) | 57 km (35 mi) NW from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 6.4 |
8 mins earlier Jan 10, 2026 22:58 (Makassar Time) | 18 km (11 mi) NNE from Main Shock. |
| Main Shock | M 5.5 |
Jan 10, 2026 23:06 (Makassar Time) | - |
| Aftershock | M 5.2 |
8 mins later Jan 10, 2026 23:15 (Makassar Time) | 10 km (6 mi) ENE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.2 |
1 hr later Jan 11, 2026 00:12 (Makassar Time) | 15 km (10 mi) NE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.1 |
5 hrs later Jan 11, 2026 03:40 (Makassar Time) | 31 km (19 mi) E from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.2 |
5 hrs later Jan 11, 2026 04:18 (Makassar Time) | 13 km (8 mi) NE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.8 |
12 hrs later Jan 11, 2026 11:35 (Makassar Time) | 15 km (10 mi) NE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.5 |
13 hrs later Jan 11, 2026 12:03 (Makassar Time) | 11 km (7 mi) NE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.6 |
18 hrs later Jan 11, 2026 16:45 (Makassar Time) | 36 km (22 mi) SSW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.2 |
1 day later Jan 12, 2026 04:09 (Makassar Time) | 82 km (51 mi) ESE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.4 |
1 day later Jan 12, 2026 06:09 (Makassar Time) | 88 km (54 mi) SW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.2 |
2 days later Jan 12, 2026 13:41 (Makassar Time) | 20 km (12 mi) NNE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.4 |
2 days later Jan 12, 2026 13:41 (Makassar Time) | 51 km (32 mi) SW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.5 |
2 days later Jan 13, 2026 01:03 (Makassar Time) | 34 km (21 mi) NNE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.5 |
2 days later Jan 13, 2026 01:52 (Makassar Time) | 14 km (9 mi) SSW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.4 |
2 days later Jan 13, 2026 02:01 (Makassar Time) | 29 km (18 mi) SSW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.5 |
2 days later Jan 13, 2026 04:16 (Makassar Time) | 20 km (13 mi) SW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.7 |
2 days later Jan 13, 2026 05:03 (Makassar Time) | 35 km (21 mi) SW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.5 |
2 days later Jan 13, 2026 05:33 (Makassar Time) | 39 km (24 mi) W from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.6 |
2 days later Jan 13, 2026 09:36 (Makassar Time) | 84 km (52 mi) SSW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.5 |
2 days later Jan 13, 2026 10:03 (Makassar Time) | 77 km (48 mi) S from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.7 |
3 days later Jan 13, 2026 11:31 (Makassar Time) | 17 km (11 mi) SSW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.2 |
3 days later Jan 13, 2026 11:42 (Makassar Time) | 26 km (16 mi) SE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.0 |
3 days later Jan 13, 2026 11:48 (Makassar Time) | 88 km (55 mi) SSW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.3 |
3 days later Jan 13, 2026 14:59 (Makassar Time) | 56 km (35 mi) SW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.5 |
3 days later Jan 14, 2026 02:48 (Makassar Time) | 46 km (29 mi) SSE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.6 |
3 days later Jan 14, 2026 04:31 (Makassar Time) | 56 km (35 mi) S from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.1 |
4 days later Jan 14, 2026 21:48 (Makassar Time) | 22 km (14 mi) W from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.6 |
5 days later Jan 15, 2026 19:40 (Makassar Time) | 19 km (11 mi) ESE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.4 |
5 days later Jan 15, 2026 22:24 (Makassar Time) | 35 km (21 mi) NNW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.4 |
5 days later Jan 15, 2026 22:30 (Makassar Time) | 66 km (41 mi) NNW 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 10th, 2026, when a 5.5 magnitude earthquake hit 98 km (61 mi) further north-northeast. An even stronger magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck on November 14th, 2019.
In total, 156 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 23 days.
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 52 km (32 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 09/02/26 00:58 (). 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 us7000rpaw
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260113_0000023
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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