A significant M5.6 earthquake struck under land 171 kilometer from Jayapura in Indonesia in the morning of Wednesday September 2nd, 2026. Roughly 2.6 million people may have felt this earthquake.
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Earthquake Summary
The earthquake struck on land in Indonesia, 171 kilometer (106 mi) southwest of Jayapura in Papua. The center of this earthquake had a quite shallow depth of 69 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.
| Date and Time: | Sep 2, 2026 09:04 (Jayapura Time) - Sep 2, 2026 00:04 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 171 km SW of Jayapura, Papua, Indonesia. Coordinates 3°13'26"S 139°20'44"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.6 Detected by 256 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.037 . |
| Depth: | 69 km (43 mi) A quite shallow depth. |
| Max. Intensity: | V
Moderate On the Modified Mercalli Scale. |
| Tsunami Risk: | Tsunami very unlikely While this was a shallow earthquake, it appears to have occurred under land with a magnitude not strong enough to 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 2.6 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 2.6 million have been exposed to shaking at an MMI level of II or higher.
Light shaking and likely no damage may have been experienced by an estimated 188,300 people. At IV, it is the highest MMI level this earthquake has caused. Intensity level III was experienced by the majority of people (around 1.9 million). In their region, weak shaking and probably no damage can be expected.
People in 2 countries have been exposed to shaking. In Indonesia , around 2.5 million people, with impact levels up to IV (light shaking, likely no damage). People were exposed to shaking in Papua New Guinea as well.
| People | MMI Level | Shaking | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | I |
Not noticable | None |
| 446,800 | II |
Very weak | None |
| 1,921,000 | III |
Weak | Probably none |
| 188,300 | 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
This earthquake may have been felt in Indonesia . Located 159 kilometer (99 mi) southwest of the epicenter of this earthquake, Abepura (Papua, Indonesia) is the nearest significant population center. The intensity of shaking and damage in Abepura is estimated to be around level III on the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale (weak shaking, probably no damage).
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place | Intensity (MMI) |
|---|---|---|
| 159 km (99 mi) NE from epicenter |
Abepura Papua, Indonesia. |
III
Weak |
| 171 km (106 mi) NE from epicenter |
Jayapura Papua, Indonesia. |
II
Weak |
Earthquake Intensity Map
The maximum intensity (MMI Scale) caused by this earthquake is IV. 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.
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.
In only six percent of cases, significant earthquakes are followed by a larger main shock, making the current earthquake a foreshock. While the chance of this happening is not so large, it is adviced to maintain cautiousness in the hours and days following a major 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 March 26th, 2026, when a 5.7 magnitude earthquake hit 12 km (8 mi) further north-east. An even stronger magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck on October 16th, 2025.
In total, 19 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.
Tsunami very unlikely
While MAG-6.5+ earthquakes may cause tsunami's, it appears that the epicenter of this earthquake hit under land. In addition, the reported depth is deeper than 100km, making the risk of a tsunami even less likely. 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 | Not this earthquake. This earthquake appears to have struck on land far from any coast. |
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 69 km (43 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 02/09/26 05:48 (). 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.
- US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us7000tdhl
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260902_0000003
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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