M5.0 Earthquake 110 km E of Laikit, Laikit II (Dimembe), Indonesia — January 15, 2021
2021-01-15 23:00:02 UTC (2021-01-15) · approx. 7:00 AM UTC+8 local
Felt by 2 people across nearby locations. Aftershock of the M5.2 mainshock.
On January 15, 2021 at 23:00 UTC, a magnitude 5.0 intermediate depth earthquake struck 110 km E of Laikit, Laikit II (Dimembe), Indonesia, at a depth of 95.6 km and coordinates 1.5145°, 125.9643°.
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.
This earthquake is part of an ongoing aftershock sequence following the magnitude 5.2 mainshock that occurred 16 days ago 130 km WNW of Ternate, Indonesia. Since the mainshock, the USGS has recorded 0 aftershocks in this area. Aftershock activity is expected to continue for days to weeks as stresses on surrounding faults redistribute.
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
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 2 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
Earthquake Details
125.9643°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.0 earthquake near Laikit, Laikit II (Dimembe), Indonesia?
The magnitude 5.0 earthquake that struck 110 km E of Laikit, Laikit II (Dimembe), Indonesia on January 15, 2021 at 23:00 UTC had a depth of 95.6 km. For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 1.5145°, 125.9643°, which is 110 km E of Laikit, Laikit II (Dimembe), 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.
Is this the same earthquake as the M5.2 one earlier?
No. This magnitude 5.0 earthquake is an aftershock of the larger magnitude 5.2 mainshock that occurred earlier 130 km WNW of Ternate, Indonesia. Aftershocks are smaller earthquakes triggered by stress changes from the mainshock.
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: us7000d0ig). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2021, January 15, 2021). M5.0 Earthquake 110 km E of Laikit, Laikit II (Dimembe), Indonesia — January 15, 2021. Retrieved March 27, 2021 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000d0ig/