Real-time coverage of earthquake event — 127 km NW of Ternate, Indonesia — Pandita Data.
🌍 OPEN LIVE 3D EARTHQUAKE MAPA magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck 127 km northwest of Ternate, Indonesia at 20:16 UTC on August 4, 2026, at a depth of 35 kilometers. The USGS assigned a GREEN PAGER alert, indicating minimal expected damage and casualties. No tsunami warning was issued despite the offshore location.
Ternate, capital of North Maluku Province, lies on a heavily populated island chain at one of Earth's most seismically active zones. The moderate magnitude and depth of 35 km place this event within the subduction zone's upper interface, where the Pacific Plate descends beneath the Philippine Plate at rates exceeding 10 cm per year. While three people reported feeling the earthquake, the offshore hypocenter and moderate energy release limited ground shaking intensity onshore.
The Molucca Strait seismic zone, where this earthquake occurred, marks a complex triple junction where three tectonic plates collide: the Pacific, Philippine, and Eurasian plates. The Ternate region experiences continuous stress accumulation from subduction, generating frequent earthquakes across a wide depth range. Indonesia records over 7,000 earthquakes annually—more than any nation on Earth—due to its position astride the Pacific Ring of Fire.
This earthquake's 35 km depth places it in the subduction zone's shallow-to-intermediate range, where ruptures typically propagate upward toward the trench and can generate small tsunamis. However, the magnitude 5.7 energy release—approximately 5.6 megatons TNT equivalent—was insufficient to displace sufficient water or trigger coastal waves beyond local background levels.
At magnitude 5.7, this earthquake released approximately 5.6 × 1018 joules of energy—equivalent to a small nuclear device. Subduction-zone earthquakes at 35 km depth typically rupture along a locked patch of the plate interface where friction prevents continuous sliding. The rupture likely extended several kilometers along the dipping fault plane, with peak slip possibly reaching 10–20 centimeters over minutes.
Depth: 35 km (upper plate interface). Energy: 5.6 × 1018 J. Rupture extent: Likely 5–10 km along-strike. Tsunami potential: Minimal at M5.7; significant vertical seafloor displacement requires M7+. Aftershock risk: Moderate; secondary ruptures likely M4–5.
Ternate city (population ~190,000) experienced weak-to-moderate ground shaking; preliminary reports indicate no structural damage. The offshore epicenter distance (127 km) reduced onshore acceleration. Historical records show the Molucca Strait zone generates M6+ events every 3–5 years; the 1987 M6.9 earthquake killed 16 people across Ternate. Today's GREEN PAGER designation reflects low-density offshore rupture and robust building standards in Ternate's modern districts.
The Indonesian Meteorology, Climatology & Geophysics Agency (BMKG) confirmed no tsunami generation, though wave models were computed for precaution. Aftershocks in the M3–4 range are expected over the next 48 hours.
Track this earthquake and hundreds like it in real time using Pandita Data's 3D Earthquake Simulation, powered by live USGS hypocenter feeds. Watch rupture propagation, stress transfer, and aftershock clusters unfold across Indonesia's subduction zones. Visit panditadata.com to explore interactive plate boundary dynamics.
FAQ::[ {"q":"What caused this earthquake?","a":"Subduction of the Pacific Plate beneath the Philippine Plate at 10+ cm/year generates friction. Rupture occurred on a locked fault segment at 35 km depth in the Molucca Strait zone."}, {"q":"Is a tsunami risk associated with this event?","a":"No tsunami warning issued. M5.7 energy insufficient to significantly displace water. Offshore depth and location limited wave generation. PAGER alert: GREEN."}, {"q":"What should people near Ternate do right now?","a":"Monitor BMKG alerts for aftershocks (M3