Shallow M5.4 Earthquake hit 125km from Jayapura in Indonesia on Saturday Afternoon.

Written by Earthquakelist.org on March 28th, 2026. Last updated March 31st, 2026.

Under land 125 kilometer from Jayapura in Indonesia, a shallow and significant MAG-5.4 earthquake occurred in the late afternoon of Saturday March 28th, 2026. Shaking may have been felt by a total of 2 million people.

Earthquake Summary

The earthquake struck on land in Indonesia, 125 kilometer (78 mi) south of Jayapura in Papua. 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:	Mar 28, 2026 16:35 (Jayapura Time) - Mar 28, 2026 07:35 Universal Time.
Location:	125 km south of Jayapura, Papua, Indonesia. Coordinates 3°34'50"S 140°19'6"E.
Map:	Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps.
Magnitude:	MAG 5.4 Detected by 92 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.061 .
Depth:	10 km (6 mi) A very shallow depth.
Max. Intensity:	VII Very Strong On the Modified Mercalli Scale.
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.

Minimal impact predicted

Based on scientific estimates by the US Geographic Survey (USGS), the risk of high fatalities for this earthquake is classified at level GREEN (low). They expect an 90% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 fatalities.

The USGS classifies the economic impact of this earthquake at level GREEN (low). They expect an 90% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 million US Dollars in economic damage and impact.

Roughly 2 million people exposed to shaking

This earthquake may have been felt by around 2 million people. That is the expected population size of the area exposed to a level of shaking of II or higher on the Modified Mercalli scale according to the USGS.

Strong shaking and probably light damage may have been experienced by an estimated 230 people. At VI, it is the highest MMI level this earthquake has caused. Intensity level III was experienced by the majority of people (around 1.6 million). In their region, weak shaking and probably no damage can be expected.

People in 2 countries have been exposed to shaking. In Indonesia , around 1.8 million people, with impact levels up to VI (strong shaking, probably light damage). In Papua New Guinea , around 250 thousand people.

People	MMI Level	Shaking	Damage
0	I	Not noticable	None
327,500	II	Very weak	None
1,574,000	III	Weak	Probably none
143,100	IV	Light	Likely none
960	V	Moderate	Very light
230	VI	Strong	Light
0	VII	Very Strong	Moderate
0	VIII	Severe	Moderate to heavy
0	IX	Violent	Heavy
0	X	Extreme	Very heavy

Nearby towns and cities

This earthquake may have been felt in Indonesia . Located 115 kilometer (71 mi) south of the epicenter of this earthquake, Abepura (Papua, Indonesia) is the nearest significant population center. The intensity of shaking and damage in Abepura is estimated to be around level III on the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale (weak shaking, probably no damage).

Overview of nearby places

Cities and Towns around the epicenter of this earthquake.
Distance	Place	Intensity (MMI)
115 km (71 mi) N from epicenter	Abepura Papua, Indonesia.	III Weak
125 km (78 mi) N from epicenter	Jayapura Papua, Indonesia.	III Weak

Earthquake Intensity Map

The graph below overlays a map of the region around the epicenter with earthquake intensity data provided by the US Geographic Survey. The highest intensity level detected for this earthquake is VI.

I Not felt

II Weak

III Weak

IV Light

V Moderate

VI Strong

VII Very Strong

VIII Severe

IX Violent

X Extreme

Earthquake Intensity Map based on Shakemap Data provided by USGS.

8 Aftershocks detected

After this earthquake struck, 8 smaller aftershocks occurred. A 3.6 magnitude earthquake hit 18 hrs later 21 km (13 mi) east of this earthquake.

In the days before this main shock, 2 smaller foreshocks were detected. A 4.2 magnitude earthquake hit 3 days earlier nearby.

Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks

Detected MAG2.5+ earthquakes within within 100km (62 mi), that occurred in the three days before and after the main shock.
Classification	Magnitude	When	Where
Foreshock	M 4.2	3 days earlier Mar 26, 2026 02:32 (Jayapura Time)	90 km (56 mi) N from Main Shock.
Foreshock	M 3.3	1 day earlier Mar 27, 2026 14:57 (Jayapura Time)	34 km (21 mi) W from Main Shock.
Main Shock This Earthquake	M 5.4	Mar 28, 2026 16:35 (Jayapura Time)	-
Aftershock	M 2.8	4 hrs later Mar 28, 2026 20:39 (Jayapura Time)	16 km (10 mi) NW from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 3.6	18 hrs later Mar 29, 2026 10:54 (Jayapura Time)	21 km (13 mi) E from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 3.4	1 day later Mar 29, 2026 21:21 (Jayapura Time)	19 km (12 mi) NE from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 2.8	1 day later Mar 30, 2026 02:02 (Jayapura Time)	30 km (19 mi) E from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 2.7	1 day later Mar 30, 2026 02:21 (Jayapura Time)	23 km (15 mi) SE from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 2.7	1 day later Mar 30, 2026 02:33 (Jayapura Time)	27 km (17 mi) E from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 2.9	2 days later Mar 30, 2026 05:34 (Jayapura Time)	17 km (10 mi) NE from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 3.4	2 days later Mar 31, 2026 01:02 (Jayapura Time)	33 km (20 mi) E 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.

In only six percent of cases, significant earthquakes are followed by a larger main shock, making the current earthquake a foreshock. While the chance of this happening is not so large, it is adviced to maintain cautiousness in the hours and days following a major earthquake.

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 March 26th, 2026, when a 5.7 magnitude earthquake hit 113 km (70 mi) further west. An even stronger magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck on October 16th, 2025.

In total, 43 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.4 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 3 months.

Tsunami very unlikely

DISCLAIMER: We strongly suggest to closely monitor advice from local authorities with regards to tsunami risks. Our analysis is based on automatically collected data from external sources, and these might contain mistakes. In addition, earthquakes can cause landslides that may lead to a tsunami, or be a followed by another, potentially stonger, earthquake.

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 5.4. 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 31/03/26 07:28 (). 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.