A significant MAG-5.1 earthquake struck under land 68 kilometer from Ambon in Indonesia in the morning of Saturday January 17th, 2026.
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Earthquake Summary
The earthquake struck on land in Indonesia, 68 kilometer (42 mi) north-east of Ambon in Maluku. The center of this earthquake had a quite shallow depth of 69 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.
| Date and Time: | Jan 17, 2026 08:50 (Jayapura Time) - Jan 16, 2026 23:50 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 68 km NE of Ambon, Maluku, Indonesia. Coordinates 3°20'50"S 128°40'54"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.1 Detected by 10 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.098 . |
| Depth: | 69 km (43 mi) A quite shallow depth. |
| Tsunami Risk: | Tsunami very unlikely While this was a shallow earthquake in a coastal area, it appears to have occurred under land (1 km from the sea) with a magnitude that is usually 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 . The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Amahai in Maluku, Indonesia. Amahai is located 26 kilometer (16 mi) west of the epicenter.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 26 km (16 mi) E from epicenter |
Amahai Maluku, Indonesia. |
| 68 km (42 mi) SW from epicenter |
Ambon Maluku, Indonesia. |
6 Aftershocks detected
This main shock was followed by 6 smaller aftershocks. A 3.9 magnitude earthquake hit 1 day later 97 km (60 mi) northwest of this earthquake.
Before this earthquake struck, 3 smaller foreshocks occurred. Nearby this earthquake a foreshock struck 2 days earlier. It measured a magnitude of 2.6
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreshock | M 2.6 |
2 days earlier Jan 15, 2026 13:06 (Jayapura Time) | 55 km (34 mi) NNW from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 2.5 |
12 hrs earlier Jan 16, 2026 21:02 (Jayapura Time) | 82 km (51 mi) ENE from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 2.5 |
6 hrs earlier Jan 17, 2026 02:39 (Jayapura Time) | 100 km (62 mi) ENE from Main Shock. |
| Main Shock This Earthquake |
M 5.1 |
Jan 17, 2026 08:50 (Jayapura Time) | - |
| Aftershock | M 2.6 |
7 hrs later Jan 17, 2026 16:20 (Jayapura Time) | 57 km (35 mi) WSW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 2.5 |
10 hrs later Jan 17, 2026 18:28 (Jayapura Time) | 51 km (32 mi) NW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 2.9 |
15 hrs later Jan 17, 2026 23:32 (Jayapura Time) | 5 km (3 mi) WSW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.1 |
18 hrs later Jan 18, 2026 02:50 (Jayapura Time) | 58 km (36 mi) NE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.2 |
1 day later Jan 18, 2026 10:09 (Jayapura Time) | 8 km (5 mi) S from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.9 |
1 day later Jan 18, 2026 16:16 (Jayapura Time) | 97 km (60 mi) NW from Main Shock. |
More earthquakes coming?
The risk of aftershocks decreases rapidly over time. Usually, aftershocks are at least one order of magnitude lower than a main shock.
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 20th, 2025, when a 5.8 magnitude earthquake hit 51 km (32 mi) further southwest. An even stronger magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck on September 25th, 2019.
In total, 61 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
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 | This earthquake appears to have struck on land near a coastal area (1 km from the sea). | 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 69 km (43 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 18/01/26 21:08 (). 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 us7000rq86
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260116_0000390
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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