In the night of Thursday August 6th, 2026, a significant MAG-5.3 earthquake hit in the Maluku Sea 111 kilometer from Ternate, Indonesia.
Felt the earthquake? Share this article: 
Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the Maluku Sea, right off the coast of Indonesia (9 mi offshore), 111 kilometer north of Ternate in North Maluku. The center of this earthquake had an intermediate depth of 116 km.
| Date and Time: | Aug 6, 2026 01:50 (Jayapura Time) - Aug 5, 2026 16:50 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 111 km north of Ternate, North Maluku, Indonesia. Coordinates 1°47'24"N 127°27'14"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.3 Detected by 24 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.063 . |
| Depth: | 116 km (72 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 . The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Ternate in North Maluku, Indonesia. Ternate is located 111 kilometer (69 mi) north of the epicenter.
The table below provides an overview of all places in proximity of today's earthquake.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 111 km (69 mi) S from epicenter |
Ternate North Maluku, Indonesia. |
| 118 km (73 mi) S from epicenter |
Sofifi North Maluku, Indonesia. |
| 288 km (179 mi) W from epicenter |
Tondano North Sulawesi, Indonesia. |
| 292 km (181 mi) W from epicenter |
Manado North Sulawesi, Indonesia. |
| 299 km (186 mi) W from epicenter |
Tomohon North Sulawesi, Indonesia. |
Shaking reported by 1 person
People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 1 person has reported shaking in one place in Indonesia.We keep updating this article as more ground reports become available. You may report that you felt this earthquake here.
Places with most reports:
- Manado, Sulawesi Utara, Indonesia: 1 person.
2 Aftershocks detected
This main shock was followed by 2 smaller aftershocks. Just 2 hrs after this main shock, an earthquake measuring MAG-2.6 was detected 57 km (35 mi) southwest of this earthquake.
Before this earthquake struck, 6 smaller foreshocks occurred. Roughly 22 hrs before this earthquake, a foreshock measuring MAG-2.9 was detected nearby this earthquake.
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreshock | M 2.6 |
2 days earlier Aug 3, 2026 13:57 (Jayapura Time) | 36 km (22 mi) N from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 2.6 |
2 days earlier Aug 4, 2026 05:03 (Jayapura Time) | 49 km (31 mi) SW from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 2.5 |
2 days earlier Aug 4, 2026 06:02 (Jayapura Time) | 93 km (58 mi) SW from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 2.9 |
2 days earlier Aug 4, 2026 07:20 (Jayapura Time) | 93 km (58 mi) SE from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 2.5 |
1 day earlier Aug 4, 2026 22:35 (Jayapura Time) | 39 km (24 mi) SW from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 2.9 |
22 hrs earlier Aug 5, 2026 03:43 (Jayapura Time) | 40 km (25 mi) NW from Main Shock. |
| Main Shock This Earthquake |
M 5.3 |
Aug 6, 2026 01:50 (Jayapura Time) | - |
| Aftershock | M 2.5 |
1 hr later Aug 6, 2026 03:04 (Jayapura Time) | 96 km (59 mi) SW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 2.6 |
2 hrs later Aug 6, 2026 03:39 (Jayapura Time) | 57 km (35 mi) SW from Main Shock. |
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.
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 August 4th, 2026, when a 5.7 magnitude earthquake hit 112 km (70 mi) further west. An even stronger magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck on April 1st, 2026.
In total, 145 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 25 days.
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 5.3. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
Not this earthquake. This earthquake occurred at a depth of 116 km (72 mi). Earthquakes this deep in the earth are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 05/08/26 22:08 (). 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 us6000tics
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260805_0000295
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
Share this article:
