M6.9 Earthquake 9 km WNW of Pematangsiantar, Indonesia — August 15, 2026
2026-08-15 10:54:51 UTC (2026-08-15) · approx. 5:54 PM UTC+7 local
Felt by 44 people across nearby locations. Maximum shaking intensity MMI 5.3 (strong).
On August 15, 2026 at 10:54 UTC, a magnitude 6.9 intermediate depth earthquake struck 9 km WNW of Pematangsiantar, Indonesia, at a depth of 175.0 km and coordinates 2.9863°, 98.9853°. The earthquake was reported felt by 44 peopleacross nearby locations, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 5.3 (strong). The USGS PAGER system issued a green alert level for this event, indicating no significant casualties or damage expected. This earthquake was detected by 114 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 751, making it a moderate-impact event. The nearest populated place is Tebingtinggi (population 169,786).
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 6.9 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 338 kilotons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 35 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
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 44 citizen responses to the USGS Did You Feel It? system. Each colored zone represents the average MMI from reports in that area.
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) | Description | Population exposed |
|---|---|---|
| MMI 3 | weak | 14,221 |
| MMI 4 | light | 4,895,552 |
| MMI 5 | moderate | 11,547,892 |
Earthquake Details
98.9853°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 6.9 earthquake near Pematangsiantar, Indonesia?
The magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck 9 km WNW of Pematangsiantar, Indonesia on August 15, 2026 at 10:54 UTC had a depth of 175.0 km. It was felt by 44 people with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 5.3 (strong). For context, this was a strong earthquake capable of causing significant damage.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 2.9863°, 98.9853°, which is 9 km WNW of Pematangsiantar, Indonesia. The nearest populated place is Tebingtinggi (population 169,786). View all earthquakes in Indonesia.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 6.9 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 6.9 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000tkyk). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2026, August 15, 2026). M6.9 Earthquake 9 km WNW of Pematangsiantar, Indonesia — August 15, 2026. Retrieved August 22, 2026 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000tkyk/