In the Banda Sea 173 kilometer from Lospalos, Timor-Leste, a significant MAG-5.1 earthquake occurred in the late afternoon of Wednesday October 21st, 2026.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the Banda Sea, 140 kilometers (87 mi) off the coast of Timor-Leste, 173 kilometer north-east of Lospalos in Lautém. The center of this earthquake had an intermediate depth of 107 km.
| Date and Time: | Oct 21, 2026 16:44 (Dili Time) - Oct 21, 2026 07:44 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 173 km NE of Lospalos, Lautém, Timor-Leste. Coordinates 7°32'28"S 128°13'24"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.1 Detected by 76 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.066 . |
| Depth: | 107 km (66 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 Timor-Leste . The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Lospalos in Lautém, Timor-Leste. Lospalos is located 173 kilometer (107 mi) north-east of the epicenter.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 173 km (107 mi) SW from epicenter |
Lospalos Lautém, Timor-Leste. |
| 221 km (137 mi) SW from epicenter |
Baukau Baucau, Timor-Leste. |
| 237 km (147 mi) SW from epicenter |
Venilale Baucau, Timor-Leste. |
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 Australia.We keep updating this article as more ground reports become available. You may report that you felt this earthquake here.
Places with most reports:
- Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia: 1 person.
2 Aftershocks detected
After this earthquake struck, 2 smaller aftershocks occurred. A 4.5 magnitude earthquake hit 2 days later 35 km (22 mi) north-east of this earthquake.
Before this earthquake struck, 3 smaller foreshocks occurred. Roughly 2 days before this earthquake, a foreshock measuring MAG-4.4 was detected nearby this earthquake.
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreshock | M 4.4 |
2 days earlier Oct 19, 2026 05:24 (Dili Time) | 64 km (40 mi) NE from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 4.2 |
2 days earlier Oct 19, 2026 20:10 (Dili Time) | 30 km (19 mi) NE from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 4.3 |
2 days earlier Oct 20, 2026 02:20 (Dili Time) | 48 km (30 mi) SE from Main Shock. |
| Main Shock This Earthquake |
M 5.1 |
Oct 21, 2026 16:44 (Dili Time) | - |
| Aftershock | M 4.5 |
2 days later Oct 23, 2026 21:24 (Dili Time) | 35 km (22 mi) NE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.8 |
3 days later Oct 24, 2026 08:48 (Dili Time) | 36 km (22 mi) W 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.
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 September 11th, 2026, when a 5.9 magnitude earthquake hit 85 km (53 mi) further north-east. An even stronger magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck on January 9th, 2023.
In total, 97 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.1 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 month.
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 5.1. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
Not this earthquake. This earthquake occurred at a depth of 107 km (66 mi). Earthquakes this deep in the earth are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 11/11/26 00:38 (). 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 us6000u3t4
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20261021_0000113
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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