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M7.4 Earthquake near Ternate, Indonesia — 01 April 2026

A major earthquake of magnitude 7.4 was recorded near Ternate, Indonesia on , with an epicentre 126 km west-northwest of Ternate, at a focal depth of 35.0 km. It ranked as the 2nd strongest of 47 earthquakes recorded in Indonesia in the preceding 30 days.

7.4 Major

Time (UTC): 2026-04-01 22:48:13

Time (your timezone): —

Magnitude: 7.4 (major)

Focal depth: 35.0 km (shallow)

Epicentre: 1.1171, 126.2970

Location: 126 km WNW of Ternate, Indonesia

Country: Indonesia

USGS link to NOAA tsunami information: Not linked

Review status: Reviewed

Source: USGS event page

How strong was this earthquake?

Major earthquakes cause serious damage across wide regions and are capable of destroying buildings that were not designed for seismic loading. Events at this size frequently trigger long aftershock sequences lasting months.

A magnitude 7.4 earthquake radiates roughly 1.9 million tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

The USGS assigns this earthquake a significance score of 861, which meets 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 07:13 local solar time at the epicentre, around dawn.

This event was shallower than 60% of the 1,535 earthquakes recorded in Indonesia in our catalogue and stronger than 100% of them.

Where was the epicentre?

The epicentre was located at 1.1171, 126.2970 — 126 km west-northwest of Ternate. The closest other recorded event was a magnitude 5.3 earthquake 8 km east-northeast of here on 24 April 2026.

The nearest other settlements in our records are Bitung (108 km south-southwest), Jailolo (130 km east), Laikit, Laikit II (Dimembe) (158 km west-northwest) and Manado (190 km west-northwest).

Why the 35 km depth matters

At 35 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 can produce strong, widely felt shaking. Its shallow focus makes stronger surface shaking more likely than for a deeper 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 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

71 further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event, the largest of them magnitude 7.8.

300 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 M7.4 event released about 4.0 times less energy than that event.

41 earthquakes have been recorded within 100 km of this epicentre in the past year, 0 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 April 2026 worldwide record, and of earthquakes in Indonesia during April 2026. 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 7 earthquakes worldwide

All magnitude 7 earthquakes →

Questions about this earthquake

How strong was the earthquake near Ternate?

It measured magnitude 7.4 — a major earthquake. A magnitude 7.4 earthquake radiates roughly 1.9 million tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

How deep was the earthquake near Ternate?

The focus was 35 km below the surface, which counts as shallow.

Was the Ternate earthquake felt at the surface?

At magnitude 7.4 and a focal depth of 35 km, shaking would have been concentrated near the epicentre.

When did the earthquake near Ternate happen?

01 April 2026 at 22:48 UTC.

Was there a tsunami?

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

Have there been aftershocks?

71 further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event, the largest of them magnitude 7.8.

How often do earthquakes happen near Ternate?

300 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 M7.4 event released about 4.0 times less energy than that event.