On Monday Evening a Shallow M6.0 Earthquake struck in the Banda Sea 336km from Ambon (Indonesia).

Written by Earthquakelist.org on August 24th, 2026.

In the Banda Sea 336 kilometer from Ambon, Indonesia, a shallow and strong Magnitude 6.0 earthquake occurred in the evening of Monday August 24th, 2026. Roughly 80 thousand people may have felt this earthquake. Another country near the epicenter is Timor-Leste.

Earthquake Summary

This earthquake hit under water in the Banda Sea, 98 kilometers (61 mi) off the coast of Indonesia, 336 kilometer south of Ambon in 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 24, 2026 23:10 (Dili Time) - Aug 24, 2026 14:10 Universal Time.
Location:	336 km south of Ambon, Maluku, Indonesia. Coordinates 6°37'35"S 127°27'35"E.
Map:	Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps.
Magnitude:	MAG 6.0 Detected by 37 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.051 .
Depth:	10 km (6 mi) A very shallow depth.
Max. Intensity:	IV Light 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 80 thousand people exposed to shaking

This earthquake may have been felt by around 80 thousand people. That is the expected population size of the area exposed to a level of shaking of II or higher on the Modified Mercalli scale according to the USGS.

The highest earthquake impact level for this earthquake is IV, which corresponds with light shaking and likely no damage. Roughly 28,440 people are expected to be exposed to this level. The majority of people (roughly 50 thousand) live in an area exposed to level III, where weak shaking and probably no damage is expected.

People in 2 countries have been exposed to shaking. In Indonesia , around 70 thousand people, with impact levels up to IV (light shaking, likely no damage). In Timor-Leste , around 20 thousand people.

People	MMI Level	Shaking	Damage
0	I	Not noticable	None
0	II	Very weak	None
54,450	III	Weak	Probably none
28,440	IV	Light	Likely none
0	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

Timor-Leste and Indonesia are both located within 300km distance of the epicenter of the earthquake.

The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Lospalos in Lautém, Timor-Leste. Lospalos is located 217 kilometer (135 mi) north of the epicenter.

An overview of nearby towns and cities is available in the overview below.

Overview of nearby places

Cities and Towns around the epicenter of this earthquake.
Distance	Place
217 km (135 mi) S from epicenter	Lospalos Lautém, Timor-Leste.
233 km (145 mi) SW from epicenter	Baukau Baucau, Timor-Leste.
254 km (158 mi) SW from epicenter	Venilale Baucau, Timor-Leste.
299 km (186 mi) SW from epicenter	Dili Díli, Timor-Leste.
313 km (194 mi) SW from epicenter	Aileu Aileu, Timor-Leste.
319 km (198 mi) SW from epicenter	Likisá Liquiçá, Timor-Leste.
332 km (206 mi) SW from epicenter	Maubara Liquiçá, Timor-Leste.
336 km (209 mi) N from epicenter	Ambon Maluku, Indonesia.
361 km (224 mi) SW from epicenter	Maliana Bobonaro, Timor-Leste.
385 km (239 mi) SW from epicenter	Suai Cova Lima, Timor-Leste.
395 km (245 mi) SW from epicenter	Atambua East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia.
400 km (249 mi) NE from epicenter	Amahai Maluku, Indonesia.

Earthquake Intensity Map

The graph below overlays a map of the region around the epicenter with earthquake intensity data provided by the US Geographic Survey. The highest intensity level detected for this earthquake is IV.

I Not felt

II Weak

III Weak

IV Light

V Moderate

VI Strong

VII Very Strong

VIII Severe

IX Violent

X Extreme

Earthquake Intensity Map based on Shakemap Data provided by USGS.

Aftershocks detected

Since this main shock, 1 smaller aftershock was detected. Just 5 hrs after this main shock, an earthquake measuring MAG-5 was detected 9 km (5 mi) south-east of this earthquake.

Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks

Detected MAG2.5+ earthquakes within within 100km (62 mi), that occurred in the three days before and after the main shock.
Classification	Magnitude	When	Where
Main Shock This Earthquake	M 6.0	Aug 24, 2026 23:10 (Dili Time)	-
Aftershock	M 5.0	5 hrs later Aug 25, 2026 04:00 (Dili Time)	9 km (5 mi) SE 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.

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 October 28th, 2025, when a 6.4 magnitude earthquake hit 279 km (174 mi) further east. An even stronger magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck on January 9th, 2023.

In total, 19 earthquakes with a magnitude of 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

DISCLAIMER: We strongly suggest to closely monitor advice from local authorities with regards to tsunami risks. Our analysis is based on automatically collected data from external sources, and these might contain mistakes. In addition, earthquakes can cause landslides that may lead to a tsunami, or be a followed by another, potentially stonger, earthquake.

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 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 24/08/26 23:28 (). As more information on this earthquake becomes available this article will be updated. This article is automatically composed based on data originating from multiple sources.