2026 Pacitan earthquake

The island of Java lies near an active convergent boundary that separates the Sunda Plate to the north and the Australian Plate to the south. At this boundary, marked by the Sunda Trench, the northward-moving Australian Plate subducts beneath the Sunda Plate. The Sunda Trench in the southern (Java) section extends from the Sunda Strait in the west to Bali in the east. Convergence of relatively old oceanic crust occurs at a rate of 6 centimetres (2.4 in) per year in the western part and 4.9 cm (1.9 in) per year in the eastern part, along with a deepening of the Benioff Zone (dip angle).^[3] This subduction zone is capable of generating megathrust earthquakes of up to magnitude 8.7, while the Australian Plate can also generate deep earthquakes from the lithosphere downwards (intraplate earthquake) off the coast of Java. This subduction zone produced two destructive earthquakes and tsunamis in 2006 and 1994.^[4]

The earthquake occurred on Friday night, 6 February 2026, at 01:06:10 WIB. According to the Meteorology, Climatological, and Geophysical Agency (BMKG), the earthquake was initially recorded at magnitude 6.4, which was later revised in an updated parameter to magnitude 6.2. The epicenter was located at coordinates 8.98 S and 111.18 E.^[5] The location was offshore, approximately 89 kilometers southeast of Pacitan at a depth of 58 kilometres (36 mi). Daryono, the director of earthquakes and tsunamis at BMKG, stated that source mechanism analysis showed a thrust motion. Based on the epicenter location and hypocenter depth, the earthquake was categorized as a shallow event.^[6] Meanwhile, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the earthquake was recorded at magnitude 5.8 with a depth of 40 km (25 mi).^[7] The earthquake was also felt at distant locations including Tasikmalaya and Bali.^[8][9]