A shallow and significant M5.0 earthquake struck in the Halmahera Sea 148 kilometer from Ternate, Indonesia in the early morning of Wednesday August 12th, 2026.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the Halmahera Sea, right off the coast of Indonesia (10 mi offshore), 148 kilometer north-east of Ternate in North Maluku. 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: | Aug 12, 2026 05:14 (Jayapura Time) - Aug 11, 2026 20:14 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 148 km NE of Ternate, North Maluku, Indonesia. Coordinates 1°40'12"N 128°22'53"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.0 Detected by 122 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.051 . |
| 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
This earthquake may have been felt in Indonesia . The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Sofifi in North Maluku, Indonesia. Sofifi is located 138 kilometer (86 mi) north-east of the epicenter.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 138 km (86 mi) SW from epicenter |
Sofifi North Maluku, Indonesia. |
| 148 km (92 mi) SW from epicenter |
Ternate North Maluku, Indonesia. |
7 Aftershocks detected
This main shock was followed by 7 smaller aftershocks. A 3 magnitude earthquake hit 3 days later 14 km (9 mi) south of this earthquake.
In the days before this main shock, 4 smaller foreshocks were detected. A 4.4 magnitude earthquake hit 21 hrs earlier nearby.
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreshock | M 3.0 |
3 days earlier Aug 9, 2026 10:23 (Jayapura Time) | 29 km (18 mi) NW from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 3.9 |
3 days earlier Aug 9, 2026 10:38 (Jayapura Time) | 19 km (12 mi) SE from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 3.1 |
1 day earlier Aug 11, 2026 03:39 (Jayapura Time) | 98 km (61 mi) N from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 4.4 |
21 hrs earlier Aug 11, 2026 08:15 (Jayapura Time) | 95 km (59 mi) W from Main Shock. |
| Main Shock This Earthquake |
M 5.0 |
Aug 12, 2026 05:14 (Jayapura Time) | - |
| Aftershock | M 2.7 |
1 hr later Aug 12, 2026 06:18 (Jayapura Time) | 9 km (5 mi) SW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 2.7 |
2 hrs later Aug 12, 2026 07:30 (Jayapura Time) | 14 km (8 mi) S from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 2.8 |
11 hrs later Aug 12, 2026 15:49 (Jayapura Time) | 63 km (39 mi) N from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 2.5 |
2 days later Aug 13, 2026 22:24 (Jayapura Time) | 10 km (6 mi) SE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 2.8 |
2 days later Aug 14, 2026 08:20 (Jayapura Time) | 75 km (47 mi) SE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 2.7 |
3 days later Aug 14, 2026 23:42 (Jayapura Time) | 64 km (40 mi) N from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.0 |
3 days later Aug 15, 2026 03:39 (Jayapura Time) | 14 km (9 mi) S 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 5th, 2026, when a 5.3 magnitude earthquake hit 106 km (66 mi) further west. An even stronger magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck on April 1st, 2026.
In total, 384 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5 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 10 days.
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. 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 09/09/26 02:48 (). 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 us6000tk1y
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260811_0000277
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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