M6.2 Earthquake near Papua, Indonesia — September 9, 2022
2022-09-09 23:31:47 UTC (2022-09-09) · approx. 8:31 AM UTC+9 local
Maximum shaking intensity MMI 7.0 (very strong).
On September 9, 2022 at 23:31 UTC, a magnitude 6.2 shallow crustal earthquake struck near Papua, Indonesia, at a depth of 18.0 km and coordinates -2.2492°, 138.1979°. The USGS PAGER system issued a green alert level for this event, indicating no significant casualties or damage expected. This earthquake was detected by 142 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 591, placing it among routine seismic activity. The nearest populated place is Kasonawejo (population 0).
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 6.2 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 30 kilotons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 11 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
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.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey ShakeMap. View interactive ShakeMap on USGS
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) | Description | Population exposed |
|---|---|---|
| MMI 3 | weak | 476,950 |
| MMI 4 | light | 313,799 |
| MMI 5 | moderate | 55,569 |
| MMI 6 | strong | 11,341 |
| MMI 7 | very strong | 1,035 |
Earthquake Details
138.1979°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 6.2 earthquake near Papua, Indonesia?
The magnitude 6.2 earthquake that struck near Papua, Indonesia on September 9, 2022 at 23:31 UTC had a depth of 18.0 km. For context, this was a strong earthquake capable of causing significant damage.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at -2.2492°, 138.1979°, which is near Papua, Indonesia. The nearest populated place is Kasonawejo (population 0). View all earthquakes in Indonesia.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 6.2 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 6.2 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000iika). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2022, September 9, 2022). M6.2 Earthquake near Papua, Indonesia — September 9, 2022. Retrieved November 15, 2022 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000iika/