Earthquakes in Timor-Leste

Seismic activity in Timor-Leste is moderate by global standards, with 8 events recorded in the past 30 days, and 22 of the events on record reached magnitude 5 or above — the level at which damage becomes a genuine concern for vulnerable construction.

182 earthquakes have been recorded in Timor-Leste in our catalogue, 8 of them in the past 30 days.

The average magnitude is 4.6 and the average focal depth 209 km. 182 events reached magnitude 4 or above and 22 reached magnitude 5 or above.

The strongest earthquake recorded in Timor-Leste in this period was a magnitude 6.2 event near Pante Makasar, Timor-Leste on 26 October 2025, at a depth of 75 km. A magnitude 6.2 earthquake radiates roughly 30,089 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

Locations recording the most events include Lospalos (113), Pante Makasar (25), Likisá (8), Maubara (8), Manatutu (7).

12% of events here are shallow (under 70 km), 64% intermediate (70–300 km) and 24% 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.

The deepest event on record here was a magnitude 4.4 earthquake at 561 km beneath Likisá, Timor-Leste on 21 November 2025.

By band, the catalogue holds 160 in the magnitude 4 range, 20 in the magnitude 5 range, 2 in the magnitude 6 range.

The busiest single day was 12 August 2025, with 4 recorded events.

No event in this record carries a USGS link to NOAA tsunami information.