M5.5 Earthquake 173 km NE of Bontang, Indonesia — September 15, 2024
2024-09-15 13:08:08 UTC (2024-09-15) · approx. 9:08 PM UTC+8 local
Felt by 3 people across nearby locations. Maximum shaking intensity MMI 6.5 (very strong).
On September 15, 2024 at 13:08 UTC, a magnitude 5.5 shallow crustal earthquake struck 173 km NE of Bontang, Indonesia, at a depth of 6.5 km and coordinates 1.3429°, 118.4805°. The earthquake was reported felt by 3 peopleacross nearby locations, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 6.5 (very strong). The USGS PAGER system issued a green alert level for this event, indicating no significant casualties or damage expected. This earthquake was detected by 91 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 467, placing it among routine seismic activity. The nearest populated place is Sangkulirang (population 0).
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.5 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 3 kilotons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 3.8 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
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 3 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 | 1,063,372 |
| MMI 4 | light | 166,534 |
| MMI 5 | moderate | 5,725 |
| MMI 6 | strong | 1,077 |
| MMI 7 | very strong | 174 |
Earthquake Details
118.4805°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.5 earthquake near Bontang, Indonesia?
The magnitude 5.5 earthquake that struck 173 km NE of Bontang, Indonesia on September 15, 2024 at 13:08 UTC had a depth of 6.5 km. It was felt by 3 people with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 6.5 (very strong). For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 1.3429°, 118.4805°, which is 173 km NE of Bontang, Indonesia. The nearest populated place is Sangkulirang (population 0). View all earthquakes in Indonesia.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.5 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 5.5 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000ne1t). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2024, September 15, 2024). M5.5 Earthquake 173 km NE of Bontang, Indonesia — September 15, 2024. Retrieved November 21, 2024 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000ne1t/