A significant MAG-5.2 earthquake struck in the Banda Sea 217 kilometer from Tual, Indonesia in the evening of Saturday May 2nd, 2026.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the Banda Sea, 154 kilometers (96 mi) off the coast of Indonesia, 217 kilometer west of Tual in Maluku. The center of this earthquake had an intermediate depth of 131 km.
| Date and Time: | May 2, 2026 19:27 (Jayapura Time) - May 2, 2026 10:27 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 217 km west of Tual, Maluku, Indonesia. Coordinates 5°57'32"S 130°49'13"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.2 Detected by 36 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.096 . |
| Depth: | 131 km (81 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 . Tual in Maluku, Indonesia is the nearest significant place from the epicenter. The earthquake occurred 217 kilometer (135 mi) west of Tual.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 217 km (135 mi) E from epicenter |
Tual Maluku, Indonesia. |
Aftershocks detected
This main shock was prefaced by 6 smaller foreshocks. Nearby this earthquake a foreshock struck 2 days earlier. It measured a magnitude of 4.3
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreshock | M 3.9 |
3 days earlier Apr 30, 2026 01:25 (Jayapura Time) | 74 km (46 mi) W from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 4.3 |
2 days earlier Apr 30, 2026 07:46 (Jayapura Time) | 44 km (27 mi) N from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 3.8 |
2 days earlier Apr 30, 2026 21:12 (Jayapura Time) | 58 km (36 mi) W from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 3.4 |
19 hrs earlier May 2, 2026 00:27 (Jayapura Time) | 8 km (5 mi) E from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 3.4 |
17 hrs earlier May 2, 2026 02:00 (Jayapura Time) | 93 km (58 mi) SE from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 3.7 |
7 hrs earlier May 2, 2026 12:44 (Jayapura Time) | 34 km (21 mi) NW from Main Shock. |
| Main Shock This Earthquake |
M 5.2 |
May 2, 2026 19:27 (Jayapura Time) | - |
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 February 6th, 2026, when a 5.7 magnitude earthquake hit 206 km (128 mi) further south. An even stronger magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck on January 9th, 2023.
In total, 82 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 2 months.
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 5.2. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
Not this earthquake. This earthquake occurred at a depth of 131 km (81 mi). Earthquakes this deep in the earth are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 02/05/26 12:58 (). 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 us7000shsh
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260502_0000150
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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