M5.0 Earthquake southwest of Sumatra, Indonesia — December 30, 2022
2022-12-30 04:33:52 UTC (2022-12-30) · approx. 11:33 AM UTC+7 local
On December 30, 2022 at 04:33 UTC, a magnitude 5.0 shallow crustal earthquake struck southwest of Sumatra, Indonesia, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates -7.0561°, 102.8060°. This earthquake was detected by 49 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 385, placing it among routine seismic activity.
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.
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
Earthquake Details
102.8060°E
Technical Information
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Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.0 earthquake southwest of Sumatra, Indonesia?
The magnitude 5.0 earthquake that struck southwest of Sumatra, Indonesia on December 30, 2022 at 04:33 UTC had a depth of 10.0 km. For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at -7.0561°, 102.8060°, which is southwest of Sumatra, 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.
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: us7000j0zy). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2022, December 30, 2022). M5.0 Earthquake southwest of Sumatra, Indonesia — December 30, 2022. Retrieved March 7, 2023 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000j0zy/