In the morning of Sunday April 12th, 2026, a shallow and significant Magnitude 5.2 earthquake hit in the Indian Ocean 285 kilometer from Meulaboh, Indonesia.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the Indian Ocean, 137 kilometers (85 mi) off the coast of Indonesia, 285 kilometer southwest of Meulaboh in Aceh. 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: | Apr 12, 2026 09:40 (Jakarta Time) - Apr 12, 2026 02:40 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 285 km SW of Meulaboh, Aceh, Indonesia. Coordinates 1°57'48"N 94°46'13"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.2 Detected by 59 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.075 . |
| Depth: | 10 km (6 mi) A very 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 . The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Meulaboh in Aceh, Indonesia. Meulaboh is located 285 kilometer (177 mi) southwest of the epicenter.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 285 km (177 mi) NE from epicenter |
Meulaboh Aceh, Indonesia. |
Aftershocks detected
This main shock was prefaced by 1 smaller foreshock. Nearby this earthquake a foreshock struck 1 day earlier. It measured a magnitude of 3.4
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreshock | M 3.4 |
1 day earlier Apr 11, 2026 02:24 (Jakarta Time) | 83 km (52 mi) E from Main Shock. |
| Main Shock This Earthquake |
M 5.2 |
Apr 12, 2026 09:40 (Jakarta Time) | - |
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.
It's always adviced to be cautious of the risk of a larger shock following any significant earthquake, however this risk is fairly small. There is a roughly 94 percent change that no larger main shock will follow in the days following this 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 3rd, 2026, when a 6.2 magnitude earthquake hit 214 km (133 mi) further east. An even stronger magnitude 6.7 earthquake struck on May 14th, 2021.
In total, 16 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 8 months.
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 10 km (6 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 12/04/26 04:28 (). 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 us6000spea
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260412_0000047
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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