In the morning of Saturday April 18th, 2026, a significant Magnitude 5.1 earthquake hit in the Maluku Sea 96 kilometer from Gorontalo, Indonesia.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the Maluku Sea, 25 kilometers (16 mi) off the coast of Indonesia, 96 kilometer south-east of Gorontalo. The center of this earthquake had an intermediate depth of 121 km.
| Date and Time: | Apr 18, 2026 07:21 (Makassar Time) - Apr 17, 2026 23:21 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 96 km SE of Gorontalo, Indonesia. Coordinates 0°4'9"N 123°47'28"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.1 Detected by 18 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.073 . |
| Depth: | 121 km (75 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 Indonesia . Gorontalo in Gorontalo, Indonesia is the nearest significant place from the epicenter. The earthquake occurred 96 kilometer (60 mi) south-east of Gorontalo.
A complete list of nearby places is included below.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 96 km (60 mi) NW from epicenter |
Gorontalo Gorontalo, Indonesia. |
| 159 km (99 mi) SW from epicenter |
Luwuk Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. |
| 179 km (111 mi) NE from epicenter |
Tomohon North Sulawesi, Indonesia. |
| 186 km (116 mi) NE from epicenter |
Tondano North Sulawesi, Indonesia. |
| 196 km (122 mi) NE from epicenter |
Manado North Sulawesi, Indonesia. |
Aftershocks detected
Since this main shock, 1 smaller aftershock was detected. Just 19 hrs after this main shock, an earthquake measuring MAG-2.8 was detected 94 km (59 mi) north of this earthquake.
Before this earthquake struck, 4 smaller foreshocks occurred. Roughly 2 days before this earthquake, a foreshock measuring MAG-3 was detected nearby this earthquake.
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreshock | M 2.7 |
3 days earlier Apr 15, 2026 17:34 (Makassar Time) | 84 km (52 mi) SW from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 3.0 |
2 days earlier Apr 16, 2026 16:11 (Makassar Time) | 19 km (12 mi) SW from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 2.5 |
1 day earlier Apr 17, 2026 02:12 (Makassar Time) | 72 km (45 mi) SW from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 2.6 |
1 day earlier Apr 17, 2026 03:04 (Makassar Time) | 34 km (21 mi) E from Main Shock. |
| Main Shock This Earthquake |
M 5.1 |
Apr 18, 2026 07:21 (Makassar Time) | - |
| Aftershock | M 2.8 |
19 hrs later Apr 19, 2026 02:27 (Makassar Time) | 94 km (59 mi) N 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 April 4th, 2026, when a 5.6 magnitude earthquake hit 278 km (173 mi) further north-east. An even stronger magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck on July 7th, 2019.
In total, 101 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 121 km (75 mi). Earthquakes this deep in the earth are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 19/04/26 00:48 (). 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 us6000sqzl
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260417_0000341
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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