M5.3 Earthquake 152 km WNW of Tobelo, Indonesia — September 24, 2021
2021-09-24 06:36:17 UTC (2021-09-24) · approx. 2:36 PM UTC+8 local
Felt by 1 person across nearby locations.
On September 24, 2021 at 06:36 UTC, a magnitude 5.3 shallow crustal earthquake struck 152 km WNW of Tobelo, Indonesia, at a depth of 35.8 km and coordinates 2.1052°, 126.6910°.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.3 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 1 kilotons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 2.7 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
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.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey Did You Feel It?. View on USGS · submit your own report
Earthquake Details
126.6910°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.3 earthquake near Tobelo, Indonesia?
The magnitude 5.3 earthquake that struck 152 km WNW of Tobelo, Indonesia on September 24, 2021 at 06:36 UTC had a depth of 35.8 km. For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 2.1052°, 126.6910°, which is 152 km WNW of Tobelo, Indonesia. View all earthquakes in Indonesia.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.3 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 5.3 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000fe0b). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2021, September 24, 2021). M5.3 Earthquake 152 km WNW of Tobelo, Indonesia — September 24, 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000fe0b/