Earthquake.now

M4.9 Earthquake near Bitung, Indonesia — 24 December 2024

A light earthquake of magnitude 4.9 was recorded near Bitung, Indonesia on , with an epicentre 190 km northeast of Bitung, at a focal depth of 70.4 km. It ranked as the 22nd strongest of 86 earthquakes recorded in Indonesia in the preceding 30 days.

4.9 Light

Time (UTC): 2024-12-24 10:42:54

Time (your timezone): —

Magnitude: 4.9 (light)

Focal depth: 70.4 km (intermediate)

Epicentre: 2.5942, 126.4000

Location: 190 km NE of Bitung, Indonesia

Country: Indonesia

USGS link to NOAA tsunami information: Not linked

Review status: Reviewed

Source: USGS event page

How strong was this earthquake?

Light earthquakes are widely felt near the epicentre and can rattle windows, dishes and hanging objects. Damage is uncommon and usually limited to cracked plaster or fallen loose items.

A magnitude 4.9 earthquake radiates roughly 338 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

The USGS assigns this earthquake a significance score of 369, which is below the USGS threshold of more than 600 for its significant-earthquake list. The ranking combines magnitude with available Did You Feel It responses and PAGER alert level; it is not a direct measurement of damage.

What the magnitude scale actually measures →

When it happened locally

That is about 19:08 local solar time at the epicentre, in the evening.

This event was deeper than 70% of the 1,530 earthquakes recorded in Indonesia in our catalogue and stronger than 66% of them.

Where was the epicentre?

The epicentre was located at 2.5942, 126.4000 — 190 km northeast of Bitung. The closest other recorded event was a magnitude 4.9 earthquake 32 km east-southeast of here on 23 June 2026.

The nearest other settlements in our records are Sarangani (123 km northwest), Laikit, Laikit II (Dimembe) (174 km west-southwest), Pulau Morotai (199 km east) and Jailolo (207 km southeast).

Why the 70 km depth matters

At 70 km this was an intermediate-depth earthquake. Energy from events at this depth spreads out before it reaches the surface, which usually means weaker shaking near the epicentre than a shallow quake of the same magnitude, but shaking felt across a wider area.

This catalogue does not ingest eyewitness responses, so it cannot confirm where this earthquake was felt. Based on magnitude alone, an event this size is often felt across the surrounding area. Its intermediate depth normally reduces peak shaking near the epicentre compared with a shallow event of the same magnitude.

Read more on how focal depth changes what you feel →

What does the tsunami information flag mean?

The USGS record does not carry a link to NOAA tsunami information. That field is not an all-clear and does not state whether a tsunami occurred. In this case, a damaging tsunami would be less likely because at M4.9 it falls below the magnitude 6.5 threshold that generally applies before a submarine earthquake displaces enough water to generate a damaging tsunami; it occurred inland rather than beneath the sea floor. For an active coastal alert, use tsunami.gov or your local warning authority.

How earthquakes generate tsunamis, and what the alert levels mean →

Aftershocks and local seismic history

3 further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event, the largest of them magnitude 4.8.

336 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 7.8 event near Ternate on 01 April 2026. This M4.9 event released about 22,387 times less energy than that event.

2 earthquakes have been recorded within 100 km of this epicentre in the past year, 2 of them in the past 30 days.

How long aftershock sequences last, and how large they get →

Where this event sits in the record

This earthquake is part of the December 2024 worldwide record, and of earthquakes in Indonesia during December 2024. Browse the full monthly archive to compare periods.

Nearest recorded earthquakes to this epicentre

Other recent earthquakes in Indonesia

All recorded earthquakes in Indonesia →

Other magnitude 4 earthquakes worldwide

All magnitude 4 earthquakes →

Questions about this earthquake

How strong was the earthquake near Bitung?

It measured magnitude 4.9 — a light earthquake. A magnitude 4.9 earthquake radiates roughly 338 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

How deep was the earthquake near Bitung?

The focus was 70 km below the surface, which counts as intermediate.

Was the Bitung earthquake felt at the surface?

At magnitude 4.9 and a focal depth of 70 km, the depth spreads the energy out, so shaking is weaker overhead but reaches further.

When did the earthquake near Bitung happen?

24 December 2024 at 10:42 UTC.

Was there a tsunami?

No. The USGS record carries no tsunami-information link for this event.

Have there been aftershocks?

3 further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event, the largest of them magnitude 4.8.

How often do earthquakes happen near Bitung?

336 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 7.8 event near Ternate on 01 April 2026. This M4.9 event released about 22,387 times less energy than that event.