In the Timor Sea 100 kilometer from Kupang, Indonesia, a shallow and significant Magnitude 5.1 earthquake occurred in the morning of Thursday May 28th, 2026. Another nearby country is Timor-Leste.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the Timor Sea, 32 kilometers (20 mi) off the coast of Indonesia, 100 kilometer east of Kupang in East Nusa Tenggara. 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: | May 28, 2026 09:46 (Makassar Time) - May 28, 2026 01:46 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 100 km east of Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. Coordinates 10°27'4"S 124°28'23"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.1 Detected by 42 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.088 . |
| 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
2 countries can be found within 300km of the epicenter of this earthquake: Indonesia and Timor-Leste .
The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Soe in East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. Soe is located 69 kilometer (43 mi) south of the epicenter.
The table below provides an overview of all places in proximity of today's earthquake.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 69 km (43 mi) N from epicenter |
Soe East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. |
| 100 km (62 mi) W from epicenter |
Kupang East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. |
| 112 km (70 mi) N from epicenter |
Kefamenanu East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. |
| 153 km (95 mi) NE from epicenter |
Suai Cova Lima, Timor-Leste. |
| 156 km (97 mi) N from epicenter |
Atambua East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. |
| 182 km (113 mi) NE from epicenter |
Maliana Bobonaro, Timor-Leste. |
| 220 km (137 mi) N from epicenter |
Maubara Liquiçá, Timor-Leste. |
| 226 km (140 mi) NE from epicenter |
Aileu Aileu, Timor-Leste. |
| 228 km (142 mi) NE from epicenter |
Likisá Liquiçá, Timor-Leste. |
| 243 km (151 mi) NE from epicenter |
Dili Díli, Timor-Leste. |
| 290 km (180 mi) NE from epicenter |
Venilale Baucau, Timor-Leste. |
4 Aftershocks detected
After this earthquake struck, 4 smaller aftershocks occurred. At a distance of 7 km (4 mi) east of this earthquake, an aftershock struck 3 days later. It measured a magnitude of 2.9
This main shock was prefaced by 2 smaller foreshocks. Roughly 2 hrs before this earthquake, a foreshock measuring MAG-4.4 was detected nearby this earthquake.
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreshock | M 2.7 |
21 hrs earlier May 24, 2026 19:22 (Makassar Time) | 52 km (32 mi) S from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 4.4 |
2 hrs earlier May 25, 2026 14:19 (Makassar Time) | 11 km (7 mi) NE from Main Shock. |
| Main Shock | M 4.9 |
May 25, 2026 15:57 (Makassar Time) | - |
| Aftershock | M 2.6 |
27 mins later May 25, 2026 16:24 (Makassar Time) | 20 km (13 mi) NW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 2.7 |
2 days later May 27, 2026 07:28 (Makassar Time) | 7 km (5 mi) SE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 2.9 |
3 days later May 28, 2026 10:15 (Makassar Time) | 7 km (4 mi) E from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 2.5 |
3 days later May 28, 2026 12:57 (Makassar Time) | 39 km (24 mi) E 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.
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 April 21st, 2026, when a 5.4 magnitude earthquake hit 178 km (111 mi) further north. An even stronger magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck on October 26th, 2025.
In total, 15 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 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 5.1. 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 28/05/26 16:48 (). 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 us7000snzn
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260528_0000034
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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