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.
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
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.
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 4.7 earthquake 2 km west-northwest of here on 14 April 2026.
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.
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.
290 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.
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. Browse the full monthly archive to compare periods.
Nearest recorded earthquakes to this epicentre
- M4.7 earthquake near Ternate, Indonesia — (2 km WNW)
- M5.3 earthquake near Ternate, Indonesia — (8 km ENE)
- M5.1 earthquake near Ternate, Indonesia — (10 km NNE)
- M4.6 earthquake near Bitung, Indonesia — (19 km N)
- M4.6 earthquake near Ternate, Indonesia — (19 km N)
- M5.1 earthquake near Bitung, Indonesia — (19 km WSW)
- M5.8 earthquake near Bitung, Indonesia — (21 km W)
- M4.7 earthquake near Bitung, Indonesia — (21 km SW)
- M5.6 earthquake near Bitung, Indonesia — (23 km W)
- M4.7 earthquake near Bitung, Indonesia — (27 km WNW)
Other magnitude 7 earthquakes worldwide
- M7.4 earthquake near Puerto Madero, Mexico —
- M7.3 earthquake near Puerto Madero, Mexico —
- M7.5 earthquake near Yumare, Venezuela —
- M7.2 earthquake near San Felipe, Venezuela —
- M7.4 earthquake near Miyako, Japan —
- M7.4 earthquake near Miyako, Japan —
- M7.2 earthquake near Luganville, Vanuatu —
- M7.3 earthquake near Luganville, Vanuatu —
Questions about this earthquake
How strong is a magnitude 7.4 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.
How deep was the earthquake near Ternate?
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.
Was the M7.4 earthquake near Ternate 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 can produce strong, widely felt shaking. 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 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?
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?
290 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.