M7.6 Earthquake near Pulau Pulau Tanimbar, Indonesia — January 9, 2023
2023-01-09 17:47:35 UTC (2023-01-09) · approx. 2:47 AM UTC+9 local
Felt by 216 people across surrounding communities. Maximum shaking intensity MMI 7.2 (severe).
On January 9, 2023 at 17:47 UTC, a magnitude 7.6 intermediate depth earthquake struck near Pulau Pulau Tanimbar, Indonesia, at a depth of 105.0 km and coordinates -7.0586°, 130.0090°. The earthquake was reported felt by 216 peopleacross surrounding communities, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 7.2 (severe). The USGS PAGER system issued a green alert level for this event, indicating no significant casualties or damage expected. This earthquake was detected by 113 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 1079, making it one of the most significant global earthquakes in recent days. The nearest populated place is Tiakur (population 0).
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 7.6 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 3.8 megatons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 106 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
What the Shaking Felt Like
At MMI 7.2 (severe), people in the most strongly affected areas would have experienced: Very strong shaking. Difficult to stand. Damage to weak structures; slight damage to well-built structures. Furniture broken. Fallen plaster and loose bricks.
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 216 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 | 42,057 |
| MMI 4 | light | 1,570,340 |
| MMI 5 | moderate | 156,666 |
| MMI 6 | strong | 79,110 |
| MMI 7 | very strong | 35,907 |
Earthquake Details
130.0090°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 7.6 earthquake near Pulau Pulau Tanimbar, Indonesia?
The magnitude 7.6 earthquake that struck near Pulau Pulau Tanimbar, Indonesia on January 9, 2023 at 17:47 UTC had a depth of 105.0 km. It was felt by 216 people with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 7.2 (severe). For context, this was a strong earthquake capable of causing significant damage.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at -7.0586°, 130.0090°, which is near Pulau Pulau Tanimbar, Indonesia. The nearest populated place is Tiakur (population 0). View all earthquakes in Indonesia.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 7.6 earthquakes can continue for months to years 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 7.6 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000j36j). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2023, January 9, 2023). M7.6 Earthquake near Pulau Pulau Tanimbar, Indonesia — January 9, 2023. Retrieved July 23, 2026 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000j36j/