M4.9 Earthquake near Lembar, Indonesia — 18 May 2025
A light earthquake of magnitude 4.9 was recorded near Lembar, Indonesia on , with an epicentre 149 km south of Lembar, at a focal depth of 59.8 km.
Time (UTC): 2025-05-18 04:54:00
Time (your timezone): —
Magnitude: 4.9 (light)
Focal depth: 59.8 km (shallow)
Epicentre: -10.0783, 116.1300
Location: 149 km S of Lembar, 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 370, 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.
Where was the epicentre?
The epicentre was located at -10.0783, 116.1300 — 149 km south of Lembar. The closest other recorded event was a magnitude 5.0 earthquake 24 km south of here on 28 June 2026.
Why the 60 km depth matters
At 60 km this was a shallow earthquake. Shallow events release their energy close to the surface, so for a given magnitude they produce noticeably stronger shaking — and more damage — than deeper ones. Roughly three quarters of all earthquakes worldwide occur at shallow depths.
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 shallow focus makes stronger surface shaking more likely than for a deeper event of the same magnitude.
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
No further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event.
27 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 5.2 event near Nusa Dua on 17 April 2025. This M4.9 event released about 2.8 times less energy than that event.
How long aftershock sequences last, and how large they get →
Where this event sits in the record
This earthquake is part of the May 2025 worldwide record. Browse the full monthly archive to compare periods.
Nearest recorded earthquakes to this epicentre
- M5.0 earthquake near Lembar, Indonesia — (24 km S)
- M4.0 earthquake near Nusa Dua, Indonesia — (88 km NW)
- M5.2 earthquake near Nusa Dua, Indonesia — (126 km SSW)
- M4.5 earthquake near Nusa Dua, Indonesia — (133 km NNW)
- M4.3 earthquake near Nusa Dua, Indonesia — (149 km NW)
- M3.9 earthquake near Taliwang, Indonesia — (165 km ENE)
- M4.4 earthquake near Jimbaran, Indonesia — (183 km WNW)
- M4.6 earthquake near Denpasar, Indonesia — (191 km NW)
- M4.7 earthquake near south of Sumbawa, Indonesia — (194 km SE)
Other magnitude 4 earthquakes worldwide
- M4.9 earthquake near Atka, Alaska —
- M5.2 earthquake near Severo-Kuril’sk, Russia —
- M5.2 earthquake near Tsunō, Japan —
- M5.1 earthquake near south of the Fiji Islands —
- M4.9 earthquake near Matsubase, Japan —
- M5.1 earthquake near Tristan da Cunha region —
- M5.1 earthquake near Tristan da Cunha region —
- M5.1 earthquake near south of the Fiji Islands —
Questions about this earthquake
How strong is a magnitude 4.9 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.
How deep was the earthquake near Lembar?
At 60 km this was a shallow earthquake. Shallow events release their energy close to the surface, so for a given magnitude they produce noticeably stronger shaking — and more damage — than deeper ones. Roughly three quarters of all earthquakes worldwide occur at shallow depths.
Was the M4.9 earthquake near Lembar felt?
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 shallow focus makes stronger surface shaking more likely than for a deeper event of the same magnitude.
What does the USGS tsunami field mean for this event?
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.
Have there been aftershocks?
No further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event.
How often do earthquakes happen near Lembar?
27 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 5.2 event near Nusa Dua on 17 April 2025. This M4.9 event released about 2.8 times less energy than that event.