Earthquakes in Indonesia — December 2024

78 earthquakes were recorded in Indonesia during December 2024, an average of 2.5 per day.

78 reached magnitude 4 or above and 12 reached magnitude 5 or above. The average focal depth was 95 km.

The month's largest event in Indonesia was a magnitude 5.5 earthquake near Gorontalo, Indonesia on 06 December 2024 at 17:14 UTC. A magnitude 5.5 earthquake radiates roughly 2,682 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

That is close to the Indonesia monthly average of 69 events over the period we cover, and up from the 40 recorded the previous month.

58% of events here are shallow (under 70 km), 37% intermediate (70–300 km) and 5% deep-focus (over 300 km). That proportion of deep-focus events is the signature of a subduction zone: only a cold slab descending into the mantle stays brittle enough to rupture at those depths.

By band, the catalogue holds 66 in the magnitude 4 range, 12 in the magnitude 5 range.

Activity peaked on 02 December, when 6 events were recorded.

The month's largest events were M5.5 near Amahai, Indonesia on 16 December at 26 km; M5.5 near Gorontalo, Indonesia on 06 December at 13 km; M5.4 near Tual, Indonesia on 17 December at 111 km.

That is 13% above the 69 events Indonesia averages per month across the 22 months on record.