USGS · September 14, 2026

Magnitude 5.6 earthquake — 78 km NNE of Tobelo, Indonesia

A magnitude 5.6 earthquake was recorded near 78 km NNE of Tobelo, Indonesia on Sep 14, 2026, 07:58 PM (local time at the epicentre — UTC+9), at a depth of about 162.2 km, according to USGS.

USGSFelt by 1 person · community intensity III (weak)Shaking IIIPAGER GreenIntermediate (70–300 km)Reviewed by a seismologist

Updated 2026-09-14 12:16 UTC

The full record

Magnitude
M 5.6 · moment magnitude (W-phase)
Location
78 km NNE of Tobelo, Indonesia
Local time at the epicentre
Sep 14, 2026, 07:58 PM — UTC+9
Time (UTC)
2026-09-14 10:58 UTC
Depth
162.2 km · Intermediate (70–300 km)
Coordinates
2.422, 128.170
Felt reports
Felt by 1 person · community intensity III (weak)
Estimated shaking
III · Weak
PAGER impact alert
Green — No casualties or significant damage expected.
Tsunami
No tsunami evaluation was flagged for this earthquake.
Significance
483 / 1000 · notable event
Solution quality
88 seismic stations used · 36° azimuthal gap (well-constrained epicentre)
Review status
Reviewed by a seismologist
Catalog
USGS

Open the official catalog record

Epicentre and nearby recent earthquakes

The highlighted circle is this earthquake. Smaller circles are other events recorded nearby in the last 30 days.

What the shaking was like

At this depth the energy spreads out before it reaches the surface, so shaking is usually weaker but felt over a wider area.

Estimated instrumental shaking III (Weak): Felt indoors; hanging objects swing, like a passing truck.

People who reported it described intensity III (Weak): Felt indoors; hanging objects swing, like a passing truck.

Felt it yourself? USGS collects first-hand reports through “Did You Feel It?”, and those reports are what produce the community intensity above.

Who lives nearby

About 0 people live in towns within 30 km of the epicentre, and 66,476 within 100 km. Distances are from the epicentre to the town centre.

PlaceDistancePopulation
Daruba43.6 km SSE23,566
Galela78.9 km SSW8,760
Tobelo79.2 km SSW34,150

Earthquake history in this area

12 earthquakes of magnitude 4.5+ have been recorded within 200 km of this epicentre since 1960, in Indonesia.

Other earthquakes near this epicentre

7 other events within 100 km in the last 30 days.

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Frequently asked questions

How strong was the 78 km NNE of Tobelo, Indonesia earthquake?

Magnitude 5.6 (moment magnitude (W-phase)), at a depth of 162.2 km. At this depth the energy spreads out before it reaches the surface, so shaking is usually weaker but felt over a wider area.

Exactly when did it happen?

Sep 14, 2026, 07:58 PM (local time at the epicentre — UTC+9). In universal time: 2026-09-14 10:58 UTC.

Was it felt?

Felt by 1 person · community intensity III (weak). Felt indoors; hanging objects swing, like a passing truck.

Was there a tsunami warning?

No tsunami evaluation was flagged for this earthquake.

Which towns are closest to the epicentre?

The closest is Daruba, 43.6 km SSE (population 23,566).

Are earthquakes normal in this area?

Yes. The largest earthquake recorded within 200 km since 1960 was magnitude 7.7 (90 km NE of Tobelo, Indonesia, 1966), and 7 further events were recorded within 100 km in the last 30 days.

How do I get alerts for the next earthquake here?

Install the free SeismoWatch Android app, draw a box over this area, set a minimum magnitude, and turn alerts on.

About this page

Event data: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) and, in Venezuela, FUNVISIS. Populated places and time zones: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). Preliminary solutions are revised as more observations arrive.