M5.4 Earthquake 228 km N of Palu, Indonesia — March 14, 2025
2025-03-14 11:13:32 UTC (2025-03-14) · approx. 7:13 PM UTC+8 local
Maximum shaking intensity MMI 4.6 (moderate).
On March 14, 2025 at 11:13 UTC, a magnitude 5.4 shallow crustal earthquake struck 228 km N of Palu, Indonesia, at a depth of 27.6 km and coordinates 1.1243°, 120.2572°. The USGS PAGER system issued a green alert level for this event, indicating no significant casualties or damage expected. This earthquake was detected by 187 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 449, placing it among routine seismic activity. The nearest populated place is Ogotua (population 0).
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.4 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 2 kilotons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 3.2 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 | 689,839 |
| MMI 4 | light | 333,735 |
| MMI 5 | moderate | 984 |
Earthquake Details
120.2572°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.4 earthquake near Palu, Indonesia?
The magnitude 5.4 earthquake that struck 228 km N of Palu, Indonesia on March 14, 2025 at 11:13 UTC had a depth of 27.6 km. For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 1.1243°, 120.2572°, which is 228 km N of Palu, Indonesia. The nearest populated place is Ogotua (population 0). View all earthquakes in Indonesia.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.4 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 5.4 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000pysg). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2025, March 14, 2025). M5.4 Earthquake 228 km N of Palu, Indonesia — March 14, 2025. Retrieved May 17, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000pysg/