A shallow and significant MAG-5.6 earthquake struck in the Indian Ocean 217 kilometer from Padang, Indonesia in the early afternoon of Tuesday August 18th, 2026. Shaking may have been felt by a total of 2.7 million people.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the Indian Ocean, right off the coast of Indonesia (8 mi offshore), 217 kilometer west of Padang in West Sumatra. 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 18, 2026 13:02 (Jakarta Time) - Aug 18, 2026 06:02 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 217 km west of Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia. Coordinates 0°41'9"N 98°24'58"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.6 Detected by 15 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.08 . |
| Depth: | 10 km (6 mi) A very shallow depth. |
| Max. Intensity: | VI
Strong On the Modified Mercalli Scale. |
| Tsunami Risk: | Low tsunami risk Earthquakes under MAG-6.5 do not usually cause tsunami's. Always stay cautious - More info here. |
Minimal impact predicted
Based on scientific estimates by the US Geographic Survey (USGS), the risk of high fatalities for this earthquake is classified at level GREEN (low). They expect an 90% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 fatalities.
The USGS classifies the economic impact of this earthquake at level GREEN (low). They expect an 90% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 million US Dollars in economic damage and impact.
Roughly 2.7 million people exposed to shaking
The USGS has published a report estimating the number of people exposed to this earthquake. Acoording to their analysis, roughly 2.7 million have been exposed to shaking at an MMI level of II or higher.
Moderate shaking and very light damage may have been experienced by an estimated 3,680 people. At V, it is the highest MMI level this earthquake has caused. Intensity level III was experienced by the majority of people (around 2.2 million). In their region, weak shaking and probably no damage can be expected. All exposure to shaking was within the borders of Indonesia .
| People | MMI Level | Shaking | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | I |
Not noticable | None |
| 439,800 | II |
Very weak | None |
| 2,178,000 | III |
Weak | Probably none |
| 39,840 | IV |
Light | Likely none |
| 3,680 | V |
Moderate | Very light |
| 0 | VI |
Strong | Light |
| 0 | VII |
Very Strong | Moderate |
| 0 | VIII |
Severe | Moderate to heavy |
| 0 | IX |
Violent | Heavy |
| 0 | X |
Extreme | Very heavy |
Nearby towns and cities
This earthquake may have been felt in Indonesia . The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Pariaman in West Sumatra, Indonesia. Pariaman is located 190 kilometer (118 mi) west of the epicenter. The intensity of shaking and damage in Pariaman is estimated to be around level III on the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale (weak shaking, probably no damage).
Multiple major population centers exist within 300km of the earthquake that struck today. Padang is located 217 km to the east (intensity unknown, possibly low). Payakumbuh is located 252 km to the east (intensity unknown, possibly low). Padangsidempuan is located 249 km to the north (intensity unknown, possibly low).
The table below provides an overview of all places in proximity of today's earthquake. Where available, the estimated intensity on the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale in each place is included. Places where this information is omitted likely experienced little impact.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place | Intensity (MMI) |
|---|---|---|
| 190 km (118 mi) E from epicenter |
Pariaman West Sumatra, Indonesia. |
III
Weak |
| 217 km (135 mi) E from epicenter |
Padang West Sumatra, Indonesia. |
|
| 221 km (137 mi) E from epicenter |
Bukittinggi West Sumatra, Indonesia. |
|
| 249 km (155 mi) N from epicenter |
Padangsidempuan North Sumatra, Indonesia. |
|
| 250 km (155 mi) E from epicenter |
Solok West Sumatra, Indonesia. |
|
| 252 km (157 mi) E from epicenter |
Payakumbuh West Sumatra, Indonesia. |
|
| 273 km (170 mi) N from epicenter |
Sibolga North Sumatra, Indonesia. |
|
| 285 km (177 mi) E from epicenter |
Sijunjung West Sumatra, Indonesia. |
Earthquake Intensity Map
The maximum intensity (MMI Scale) caused by this earthquake is V. The map below shows in which areas this earthquake was the most and least impactful. It is based on data from the US Geographic Survey.
Risk of aftershocks?
This earthquake did not have any significant foreshocks nor aftershocks occurring within 100km (62 mi) of its epicenter.
The risk of aftershocks decreases rapidly over time. Usually, aftershocks are at least one order of magnitude lower than a main shock.
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 April 18th, 2026, when a 5.7 magnitude earthquake hit 256 km (159 mi) further northwest. An even stronger magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck on April 24th, 2023.
In total, 20 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.6 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 6 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 5.6. 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 18/08/26 12:48 (). 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 us6000tlkt
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260818_0000206
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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