Under land 175 kilometer from Jayapura in Indonesia, a shallow and significant MAG-5.3 earthquake occurred deep in the night of Tuesday April 21st, 2026.
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Earthquake Summary
The earthquake struck on land in Indonesia, 175 kilometer (109 mi) west 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: | Apr 21, 2026 03:47 (Jayapura Time) - Apr 20, 2026 18:47 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 175 km west of Jayapura, Papua, Indonesia. Coordinates 2°22'26"S 139°8'54"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.3 Detected by 122 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.053 . |
| Depth: | 10 km (6 mi) A very shallow depth. |
| 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. |
Nearby towns and cities
This earthquake may have been felt in Indonesia . Abepura in Papua, Indonesia is the nearest significant place from the epicenter. The earthquake occurred 167 kilometer (104 mi) west of Abepura.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 167 km (104 mi) E from epicenter |
Abepura Papua, Indonesia. |
| 175 km (109 mi) E from epicenter |
Jayapura Papua, Indonesia. |
4 Aftershocks detected
This main shock was followed by 4 smaller aftershocks. A 4.1 magnitude earthquake hit 7 mins later 55 km (34 mi) north of this earthquake.
Before this earthquake struck, 4 smaller foreshocks occurred. A 3.4 magnitude earthquake hit 16 hrs earlier nearby.
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreshock | M 2.8 |
1 day earlier Apr 20, 2026 02:51 (Jayapura Time) | 85 km (53 mi) E from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 2.7 |
18 hrs earlier Apr 20, 2026 09:39 (Jayapura Time) | 100 km (62 mi) E from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 2.7 |
17 hrs earlier Apr 20, 2026 10:17 (Jayapura Time) | 56 km (35 mi) NW from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 3.4 |
16 hrs earlier Apr 20, 2026 11:55 (Jayapura Time) | 12 km (7 mi) NW from Main Shock. |
| Main Shock This Earthquake |
M 5.3 |
Apr 21, 2026 03:47 (Jayapura Time) | - |
| Aftershock | M 4.1 |
7 mins later Apr 21, 2026 03:54 (Jayapura Time) | 55 km (34 mi) N from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.0 |
8 hrs later Apr 21, 2026 11:30 (Jayapura Time) | 99 km (62 mi) E from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.4 |
11 hrs later Apr 21, 2026 14:17 (Jayapura Time) | 94 km (58 mi) N from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.2 |
11 hrs later Apr 21, 2026 14:43 (Jayapura Time) | 56 km (34 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 March 26th, 2026, when a 5.7 magnitude earthquake hit 88 km (55 mi) further south. An even stronger magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck on October 16th, 2025.
In total, 58 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.3 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 | Not this earthquake. This earthquake appears to have struck on land far from any coast. |
Not this earthquake. This earthquake had a magnitude of 5.3. 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 21/04/26 10:18 (). 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 us6000srn6
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260420_0000327
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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