5.0

M5.0 Earthquake 140 km W of Ternate, IndonesiaOctober 11, 2021

2021-10-11 15:27:49 UTC (2021-10-11) · approx. 11:27 PM UTC+8 local

Felt by 1 person across nearby locations.

MagnitudeM5.0(mb)
Time15:27 UTC11:27 PM UTC+8
Depth10.0 kmshallow crustal
Coordinates0.893°, 126.129°
Felt by1DYFI response
Status✓ Reviewed by USGS

On October 11, 2021 at 15:27 UTC, a magnitude 5.0 shallow crustal earthquake struck 140 km W of Ternate, Indonesia, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates 0.8928°, 126.1290°.

Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.0 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 477 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 1.7 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

Map showing earthquake epicenter at 0.89°, 126.13°

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 M5.0 earthquake near 140 km W of Ternate, Indonesia

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

Earthquake Details

Magnitude
5.0 mb
Depth
10.0 km
shallow crustal
Location
0.8928°N
126.1290°E
Felt Reports
1
DYFI responses
Community Intensity
2.0
CDI from reports

Technical Information

Event ID
us6000ftqr
Event Type
earthquake
Status
✓ Reviewed
Significance
385
Azimuthal Gap
33.0°
Min Station Distance
1.243°
RMS Residual
0.59 sec
Last Updated
2025-12-22 22:17:39 UTC

Common Questions

How strong was the magnitude 5.0 earthquake near Ternate, Indonesia?

The magnitude 5.0 earthquake that struck 140 km W of Ternate, Indonesia on October 11, 2021 at 15:27 UTC had a depth of 10.0 km. For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.

Where did the earthquake occur?

The earthquake epicenter was located at 0.8928°, 126.1290°, which is 140 km W of Ternate, Indonesia. View all earthquakes in Indonesia.

Were there aftershocks?

Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.0 earthquakes can continue for days to weeks 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 5.0 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.

Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000ftqr). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.

Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2021, October 11, 2021). M5.0 Earthquake 140 km W of Ternate, IndonesiaOctober 11, 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000ftqr/