Very strong mag. 6.3 earthquake - 153 km east of Bitung, North Sulawesi, Indonesia, on Friday, August 15, 1986 at 07:40 GMT
Quake Data | Interactive map | User Reports | Aftershocks | Earlier quakes here | Quakes in Indonesia | Quakes in the Philippines | North Sulawesi | North Maluku | Davao | Gorontalo

Very strong magnitude 6.3 earthquake at 33 km depth
1 Jan 00:00 UTC: First to report: USGS after 30 seconds.
Magnitude: 6.3
Depth: 33.0 km
Epicenter latitude / longitude: 1.929°N / 126.482°E

Antipode: 1.929°S / 53.518°W
Nearest volcano: Ruang (124 km / 77 mi)
Nearby towns and cities:
153 km (95 mi) ENE of Bitung (pop: 137,400) --> See nearby quakes!
162 km (100 mi) NW of Ternate (pop: 101,700) --> See nearby quakes!
171 km (106 mi) W of Tobelo (Kabupaten Halmahera Utara) (pop: 10,000) --> See nearby quakes!
175 km (109 mi) ENE of Laikit, Laikit II (Dimembe) (Kabupaten Minahasa Utara) (pop: 8,000) --> See nearby quakes!
179 km (111 mi) NW of Sofifi (Kota Tidore Kepulauan) (pop: 36,200) --> See nearby quakes!
188 km (117 mi) ENE of Tondano (Kabupaten Minahasa) (pop: 33,300) --> See nearby quakes!
188 km (117 mi) ENE of Manado (pop: 451,900) --> See nearby quakes!
199 km (123 mi) ENE of Tomohon (pop: 27,600) --> See nearby quakes!
403 km (250 mi) SSE of Sarangani (Davao del Sur, Philippines) (pop: 7,510) --> See nearby quakes!
411 km (255 mi) ENE of Gorontalo (pop: 144,200) --> See nearby quakes!
Primary data source: USGS (United States Geological Survey)
Estimated released energy: 1.8 x 1014 joules (49.4 gigawatt hours, equivalent to 42502 tons of TNT or 2.7 atomic bombs!) | about seismic energy
Data for the same earthquake reported by different agencies
Info: The more agencies report about the same quake and post similar data, the more confidence you can have in the data. It takes normally up to a few hours until earthquake parameters are calculated with near-optimum precision.
Mag. | Depth | Location | Source |
6.3 | 33 km | Molucca Sea (Indonesia) | USGS |
User reports for this quake
User reports estimate the perceived ground shaking intensity according to the MMI (Modified Mercalli Intensity) scale.
Aftershocks
[More info]
Recorded aftershocks, latest first (69 quakes)
Date and time![]() | Mag Depth | Location | Details |
Feb 8, 1987 17:48 35 years ago | 6.2 17 km | 127 km NW of Ternate, North Maluku, Indonesia | More |
Feb 7, 1987 11:31 35 years ago | 5.0 33 km | 121 km NW of Ternate, North Maluku, Indonesia | More |
Jan 29, 1987 02:43 35 years ago | 6.4 48 km | 118 km E of Bitung, North Sulawesi, Indonesia | More |
Jan 24, 1987 13:35 35 years ago | 4.5 33 km | 54 km E of Pulau Tahulandang Island, North Sulawesi, Indonesia | More |
Jan 23, 1987 17:51 35 years ago | 5.9 72 km | 134 km NW of Ternate, North Maluku, Indonesia | More |
Jan 19, 1987 15:54 35 years ago | 5.1 33 km | 62 km NW of Pulau Tutu Island, North Maluku, Indonesia | More |
Jan 6, 1987 18:16 35 years ago | 4.1 90 km | 94 km NE of Pulau Gureda Island, North Maluku, Indonesia | More |
Dec 26, 1986 21:25 35 years ago | 5.1 33 km | 97 km W of Pulau Laba Island, North Maluku, Indonesia | More |
Dec 8, 1986 12:24 35 years ago | 4.8 58 km | 97 km W of Pulau Laba Island, North Maluku, Indonesia | More |
Nov 28, 1986 13:44 35 years ago | 4.8 86 km | 142 km NW of Ternate, North Maluku, Indonesia | More |
Nov 27, 1986 19:03 35 years ago | 4.4 95 km | 96 km N of Pulau Gureda Island, North Maluku, Indonesia | More |
Nov 26, 1986 04:11 35 years ago | 4.7 61 km | 132 km NW of Ternate, North Maluku, Indonesia | More |
Nov 24, 1986 16:01 35 years ago | 5.1 48 km | 143 km NW of Ternate, North Maluku, Indonesia | More |
Nov 14, 1986 16:37 36 years ago | 4.3 33 km | 115 km NW of Ternate, North Maluku, Indonesia | More |
Nov 11, 1986 00:02 36 years ago | 6.0 79 km | 103 km W of Pulau Laba Island, North Maluku, Indonesia | More |
Nov 10, 1986 02:26 36 years ago | 4.8 78 km | 120 km NW of Pulau Tutu Island, North Maluku, Indonesia | More |
Oct 30, 1986 21:40 36 years ago | 4.7 49 km | 151 km E of Bitung, North Sulawesi, Indonesia | More |
Oct 22, 1986 05:30 36 years ago | 5.0 76 km | 109 km NW of Pulau Tutu Island, North Maluku, Indonesia | More |
Oct 21, 1986 12:15 36 years ago | 4.9 67 km | 113 km NW of Ternate, North Maluku, Indonesia | More |
Oct 15, 1986 00:03 36 years ago | 4.5 33 km | 151 km NW of Ternate, North Maluku, Indonesia | More |
Oct 8, 1986 16:37 36 years ago | 4.4 33 km | 165 km NE of Bitung, North Sulawesi, Indonesia | More |
Sep 14, 1986 20:16 36 years ago | 4.9 33 km | 139 km E of Bitung, North Sulawesi, Indonesia | More |
Sep 5, 1986 21:08 36 years ago | 4.8 73 km | 137 km NW of Ternate, North Maluku, Indonesia | More |
Sep 1, 1986 23:53 36 years ago | 5.0 33 km | 93 km W of Pulau Laba Island, North Maluku, Indonesia | More |
Aug 27, 1986 01:15 36 years ago | 4.2 33 km | 97 km NW of Pulau Tutu Island, North Maluku, Indonesia | More |
Aug 26, 1986 19:03 36 years ago | 4.6 33 km | 81 km W of Pulau Laba Island, North Maluku, Indonesia | More |
Aug 25, 1986 00:19 36 years ago | 4.7 33 km | 153 km NW of Ternate, North Maluku, Indonesia | More |
Aug 25, 1986 00:13 36 years ago | 5.0 33 km | 156 km NW of Ternate, North Maluku, Indonesia | More |
Aug 24, 1986 23:46 36 years ago | 5.6 35 km | 83 km NW of Pulau Tutu Island, North Maluku, Indonesia | More |
Aug 24, 1986 09:20 36 years ago | 4.3 33 km | 70 km NW of Pulau Tutu Island, North Maluku, Indonesia | More |
Aug 24, 1986 09:17 36 years ago | 4.0 104 km | 106 km W of Pulau Laba Island, North Maluku, Indonesia | More |
Aug 24, 1986 06:52 36 years ago | 5.0 33 km | 89 km NW of Pulau Tutu Island, North Maluku, Indonesia | More |
Aug 24, 1986 02:09 36 years ago | 4.6 33 km | 58 km W of Pulau Laba Island, North Maluku, Indonesia | More |
Aug 23, 1986 18:27 36 years ago | 5.0 33 km | 149 km NW of Ternate, North Maluku, Indonesia | More |
Aug 22, 1986 20:12 36 years ago | 4.6 35 km | 139 km NW of Ternate, North Maluku, Indonesia | More |
Aug 22, 1986 12:25 36 years ago | 4.8 33 km | 115 km NW of Ternate, North Maluku, Indonesia | More |
Aug 22, 1986 12:19 36 years ago | 4.5 33 km | 111 km NW of Ternate, North Maluku, Indonesia | More |
Aug 21, 1986 17:38 36 years ago | 4.7 33 km | 145 km NW of Ternate, North Maluku, Indonesia | More |
Aug 20, 1986 18:15 36 years ago | 5.5 33 km | 164 km NE of Bitung, North Sulawesi, Indonesia | More |
Aug 20, 1986 12:12 36 years ago | 4.2 33 km | 75 km W of Pulau Laba Island, North Maluku, Indonesia | More |
Aug 19, 1986 13:35 36 years ago | 4.4 33 km | 85 km W of Pulau Laba Island, North Maluku, Indonesia | More |
Aug 18, 1986 14:16 36 years ago | 5.8 33 km | 139 km NW of Ternate, North Maluku, Indonesia | More |
Aug 18, 1986 01:11 36 years ago | 4.8 33 km | 174 km NE of Bitung, North Sulawesi, Indonesia | More |
Aug 17, 1986 19:28 36 years ago | 5.0 33 km | 95 km W of Pulau Laba Island, North Maluku, Indonesia | More |
Aug 17, 1986 18:53 36 years ago | 4.9 33 km | 91 km W of Pulau Laba Island, North Maluku, Indonesia | More |
Aug 17, 1986 18:34 36 years ago | 5.2 33 km | 92 km W of Pulau Laba Island, North Maluku, Indonesia | More |
Aug 17, 1986 18:25 36 years ago | 4.7 33 km | 104 km NW of Pulau Tutu Island, North Maluku, Indonesia | More |
Aug 17, 1986 16:58 36 years ago | 4.8 33 km | 75 km W of Pulau Laba Island, North Maluku, Indonesia | More |
Aug 17, 1986 16:21 36 years ago | 5.4 33 km | 86 km W of Pulau Laba Island, North Maluku, Indonesia | More |
Aug 17, 1986 16:14 36 years ago | 5.1 33 km | 86 km NW of Pulau Tutu Island, North Maluku, Indonesia | More |
Aug 17, 1986 16:09 36 years ago | 5.0 33 km | 82 km W of Pulau Laba Island, North Maluku, Indonesia | More |
Aug 17, 1986 15:52 36 years ago | 5.5 33 km | 83 km NW of Pulau Tutu Island, North Maluku, Indonesia | More |
Aug 17, 1986 15:44 36 years ago | 5.0 33 km | 74 km W of Pulau Laba Island, North Maluku, Indonesia | More |
Aug 17, 1986 15:31 36 years ago | 6.3 33 km | 67 km NW of Pulau Tutu Island, North Maluku, Indonesia | More |
Aug 17, 1986 15:27 36 years ago | 6.4 31 km | 84 km W of Pulau Laba Island, North Maluku, Indonesia | More |
Aug 17, 1986 10:26 36 years ago | 5.3 33 km | 150 km NW of Ternate, North Maluku, Indonesia | More |
Aug 17, 1986 04:33 36 years ago | 5.0 33 km | 75 km NW of Pulau Tutu Island, North Maluku, Indonesia | More |
Aug 16, 1986 22:39 36 years ago | 5.0 33 km | 149 km NW of Ternate, North Maluku, Indonesia | More |
Aug 16, 1986 21:08 36 years ago | 6.1 33 km | 143 km E of Bitung, North Sulawesi, Indonesia | More |
Aug 16, 1986 17:19 36 years ago | 6.4 33 km | 153 km NW of Ternate, North Maluku, Indonesia | More |
Aug 16, 1986 14:40 36 years ago | 5.1 33 km | 108 km W of Pulau Tongidi Island, North Maluku, Indonesia | More |
Aug 16, 1986 06:08 36 years ago | 4.6 33 km | 155 km NW of Ternate, North Maluku, Indonesia | More |
Aug 16, 1986 02:04 36 years ago | 4.7 33 km | 132 km N of Ternate, North Maluku, Indonesia | More |
Aug 15, 1986 19:09 36 years ago | 4.8 33 km | 115 km NW of Ternate, North Maluku, Indonesia | More |
Aug 15, 1986 16:20 36 years ago | 5.1 33 km | 106 km W of Pulau Tutu Island, North Maluku, Indonesia | More |
Aug 15, 1986 15:31 36 years ago | 4.3 33 km | 54 km NW of Pulau Tutu Island, North Maluku, Indonesia | More |
Aug 15, 1986 12:14 36 years ago | 4.9 33 km | 131 km E of Bitung, North Sulawesi, Indonesia | More |
Aug 15, 1986 11:02 36 years ago | 4.9 33 km | 138 km E of Bitung, North Sulawesi, Indonesia | More |
Aug 15, 1986 10:43 36 years ago | 4.6 33 km | 156 km N of Ternate, North Maluku, Indonesia | More |
Show all
Earlier earthquakes in the same area
Click here to search our database for earlier earthquakes in the same area since 1900!