6.0

M6.0 Earthquake 97 km SE of Gorontalo, Indonesia — June 23, 2020

2020-06-23 07:43:29 UTC (2020-06-23) · approx. 3:43 PM UTC+8 local

Felt by 1 person across nearby locations. Maximum shaking intensity MMI 4.3 (moderate).

MagnitudeM6.0(mww)
Time07:43 UTC≈ 3:43 PM UTC+8
Depth109.0 kmintermediate depth
Coordinates0.037°, 123.787°
Felt by1DYFI response· max MMI 4.3
Status✓ Reviewed by USGS· green PAGER
green Alert— no significant casualties or damage expected

On June 23, 2020 at 07:43 UTC, a magnitude 6.0 intermediate depth earthquake struck 97 km SE of Gorontalo, Indonesia, at a depth of 109.0 km and coordinates 0.0368°, 123.7866°. The earthquake was reported felt by 1 personacross nearby locations, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 4.3 (moderate). The USGS PAGER system issued a green alert level for this event, indicating no significant casualties or damage expected. The nearest populated place is Molibagu (population 0).

Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 6.0 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 15 kilotons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 8.3 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.

The epicenter is located in Indonesia, a region characterized by the convergence of the Indo-Australian, Eurasian, and Philippine Sea plates, forming the Sunda-Banda arc system. The nearest mapped fault system is the Sunda megathrust. View all earthquakes in Indonesia.

Learn more: Magnitude scale · Aftershock sequences

Nearest Populated Places

Molibagupop. 0
MMI 4.2 (moderate)
Dumogapop. 0
MMI 4.1 (moderate)
Bilungalapop. 0
MMI 4.0 (moderate)
Lolayanpop. 0
MMI 4.0 (moderate)
Suwawapop. 0
MMI 4.0 (light)
Gorontalopop. 144,195
MMI 4.0 (light)
Map showing earthquake epicenter at 0.04°, 123.79°

ShakeMap — predicted shaking intensity

Modeled ground-motion intensity contoured on the Modified Mercalli scale (MMI). Computed by the USGS from the moment-tensor solution and regional ground-motion prediction equations.

USGS ShakeMap intensity contours for the M6.0 earthquake near 97 km SE of Gorontalo, Indonesia

Source: U.S. Geological Survey ShakeMap. View interactive ShakeMap on USGS

Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking

Aggregated felt-report intensity from 1 citizen response to the USGS Did You Feel It? system. Each colored zone represents the average MMI from reports in that area.

USGS DYFI community-reported intensity map for the M6.0 earthquake near 97 km SE of Gorontalo, Indonesia

Source: U.S. Geological Survey Did You Feel It?. View on USGS · submit your own report

Population exposure (USGS PAGER)

Estimated population that experienced each level of shaking. Based on the USGS PAGER rapid impact assessment, which combines ShakeMap output with global population grids.

Shaking intensity (MMI)DescriptionPopulation exposed
MMI 3weak737,305
MMI 4light3,296,815

Earthquake Details

Magnitude
6.0 mww
Depth
109.0 km
intermediate depth
Location
0.0368°N
123.7866°E
Felt Reports
1
DYFI responses
Intensity (MMI)
4.3
moderate
Community Intensity
4.6
CDI from reports

Technical Information

Event ID
us6000ah1z
Event Type
earthquake
Status
✓ Reviewed
Significance
554
Azimuthal Gap
22.0°
Min Station Distance
1.475°
RMS Residual
0.90 sec
Last Updated
2025-12-22 17:57:53 UTC

Common Questions

How strong was the magnitude 6.0 earthquake near Gorontalo, Indonesia?

The magnitude 6.0 earthquake that struck 97 km SE of Gorontalo, Indonesia on June 23, 2020 at 07:43 UTC had a depth of 109.0 km. It was felt by 1 person with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 4.3 (moderate). For context, this was a strong earthquake capable of causing significant damage.

Where did the earthquake occur?

The earthquake epicenter was located at 0.0368°, 123.7866°, which is 97 km SE of Gorontalo, Indonesia. The nearest populated place is Molibagu (population 0). View all earthquakes in Indonesia.

Were there aftershocks?

Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 6.0 earthquakes can continue for weeks to months and gradually diminish over time.

Has Indonesia had earthquakes this big before?

The largest recorded earthquake in Indonesia was the M9.1 Indian Ocean earthquake of December 26, 2004. Today's magnitude 6.0 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.

Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000ah1z). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.

Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2020, June 23, 2020). M6.0 Earthquake 97 km SE of Gorontalo, Indonesia — June 23, 2020. Retrieved December 22, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000ah1z/