2026 North Maluku earthquake
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.jpg) USGS ShakeMap | |
| UTC time | 2026-04-01 22:48:13 |
|---|---|
| ISC event | 645587339 |
| USGS-ANSS | ComCat |
| Local date | 2 April 2026 |
| Local time | 06:48:13 WITA (UTC+8) 07:48:13 WIT (UTC+9) |
| Duration | 30 seconds |
| Magnitude | Mw 7.3–7.4 |
| Depth | 35 km (22 mi) |
| Epicenter | 1°07′01″N 126°17′49″E / 1.117°N 126.297°E |
| Type | Reverse |
| Areas affected | North Sulawesi, Gorontalo and North Maluku, Indonesia |
| Total damage | More than 450 structures damaged or destroyed |
| Max. intensity | MMI VII (Very strong) |
| Tsunami | 75 cm (2.46 ft) |
| Landslides | Yes |
| Aftershocks | c. 1,378+ recorded Strongest: Mwb 6.2[1] |
| Casualties | 1 death, 4 injuries |
On 2 April 2026, a Mw 7.3–7.4 earthquake struck the Molucca Sea, between North Sulawesi and North Maluku Provinces, Indonesia. The offshore epicenter was located near the Batang Dua Islands, at a depth of 35 km (22 mi). One person was killed, four were injured and over 450 structures were damaged or destroyed, the majority of them in the Batang Dua Islands.
The unique and complex tectonic setting of the Molucca Sea region is the only global example of an active arc-arc collision consuming an oceanic basin via subduction in two directions. The Molucca Sea plate is subsumed by tectonic microplates, the Halmahera plate and the Sangihe plate. The whole complexity is now known as the Molucca Sea Collision Zone.[2]
According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), this tectonic region has been the source of 115 earthquakes exceeding Mw 6.0 since 1908, including 18 >Mw 7.0 events. The largest events to strike this zone were two Mw 7.7 events in 1932 and 1968, respectively.[3]
Earthquake
According to Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysical Agency (BMKG), the earthquake's epicenter was located some 127 kilometres (79 mi) from the city of Bitung in the province of North Sulawesi, and close to the Batang Dua Islands which is administratively part of the city of Ternate in North Maluku province.[4][5] The BMKG reported a magnitude of Mw 7.3,[4] while the United States Geological Survey (USGS) put the magnitude at Mww 7.4. It struck at a depth of 35.0 kilometres (21.7 mi) according to the USGS. The focal mechanism of the earthquake corresponded to reverse faulting, moderately dipping towards either the northwest or the southeast, in line with the general trend of earthquakes in the region.[6] A rupture area of 100 km (62 mi) x 55 km (34 mi) was estimated, rupturing directly through the Batang Dua Islands, with a maximum slip of 1.0241 m (3.360 ft) west of the hypocenter. The observed source time function gives a 30 second duration for the earthquake, with the greatest phase of seismic moment release occurring about 15 seconds after initiation.[7]
The Modified Mercalli intensity (MMI) was estimated at VII (Very strong) in the Batang Dua Islands,[8] VI (Strong) at Ternate, V (Moderate) at Ibu and Manado, and III (Weak) at Gorontalo, Bone Bolango, North Gorontalo, Boalemo and Pohuwato.[5] The earthquake was followed by at least 1,378 aftershocks (25 of them being felt),[8] with the largest having a magnitude of Mwb 6.2.[9] A 75 cm (2.46 ft) tsunami was observed in North Minahasa Regency,[10] 65 cm (2.13 ft) in Kema, 15 cm (0.49 ft) in Beo, 13 cm (0.43 ft) in Talengen and 5 cm (0.16 ft) at Davao City, Philippines.[11]
