M7.3 Earthquake 125 km NNE of Lospalos, Timor Leste — December 29, 2021
2021-12-29 18:25:51 UTC (2021-12-29) · approx. 3:25 AM UTC+9 local
Felt by 127 people across surrounding communities. Maximum shaking intensity MMI 7.0 (very strong).
On December 29, 2021 at 18:25 UTC, a magnitude 7.3 intermediate depth earthquake struck 125 km NNE of Lospalos, Timor Leste, at a depth of 165.5 km and coordinates -7.5482°, 127.5773°. The earthquake was reported felt by 127 peopleacross surrounding communities, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 7.0 (very strong). The USGS PAGER system issued a green alert level for this event, indicating no significant casualties or damage expected. The nearest populated place is Tiakur (population 0).
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 7.3 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 1.3 megatons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 66 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
Nearest Populated Places
What the Shaking Felt Like
At MMI 7.0 (very strong), people in the most strongly affected areas would have experienced: Strong shaking felt by everyone. Heavy furniture may move. Books fall from shelves. Plaster and chimneys may crack. Damage is generally slight in well-built structures.
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 127 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 | 25,318 |
| MMI 4 | light | 2,634,301 |
| MMI 5 | moderate | 925,616 |
| MMI 6 | strong | 339,607 |
| MMI 7 | very strong | 74,631 |
Earthquake Details
127.5773°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 7.3 earthquake near Lospalos, Timor Leste?
The magnitude 7.3 earthquake that struck 125 km NNE of Lospalos, Timor Leste on December 29, 2021 at 18:25 UTC had a depth of 165.5 km. It was felt by 127 people with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 7.0 (very strong). For context, this was a strong earthquake capable of causing significant damage.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at -7.5482°, 127.5773°, which is 125 km NNE of Lospalos, Timor Leste. The nearest populated place is Tiakur (population 0).
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 7.3 earthquakes can continue for months to years and gradually diminish over time.
Actions
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000g7lx). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2021, December 29, 2021). M7.3 Earthquake 125 km NNE of Lospalos, Timor Leste — December 29, 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000g7lx/