Reported by EMSCIndonesia20d ago
M3.1 earthquake in Kepulauan Sangihe, Indonesia
Monday, September 7, 2026, 16:28:47 UTC · 4.840°N, 125.240°E
A magnitude 3.1 earthquake struck in Kepulauan Sangihe, Indonesia on Monday, September 7, 2026, 16:28:47 UTC, at a depth of 8.0 km (shallow).
- Magnitude
- 3.1
- Minor · m
- Depth
- 8 km
- Shallow
- Reported by
- EMSC
- Agency PIVS
- Nearest tracker
- 142 km
- from General Santos
Outlined circle: this earthquakeDashed circle: 50 km aftershock search area
In context
How big was it, and why here?
Energy released
674 kg of TNT
That is about 1/22,353 of the Hiroshima bomb. A magnitude 5.0 releases about 708 times more energy.
Tectonic setting
260 km
from the nearest mapped plate boundary, between the Philippine Sea and Sunda plates. Earthquakes this far from a boundary happen on faults inside a plate, often less frequently but sometimes strongly.
Depth: shallow
8 km
Shallow earthquakes (under 70 km) produce the strongest surface shaking for their size, so they are the ones most likely to cause damage near the epicenter.
After the main event
Aftershocks within 50 km
USGS and EMSC list 15 M2.5+ earthquakes within 50 km since this event; the largest was M5.3 on September 21, 2026. Most nearby activity right after a large earthquake is aftershocks, which usually become less frequent over days and weeks.
- 3.5Mindanao, Philippines1d ago · 40 km NE of this epicenter
- 3.1Mindanao, Philippines3d ago · 41 km N of this epicenter
- 3.1Kepulauan Sangihe, Indonesia4d ago · 18 km NE of this epicenter
- 5.396 km S of Sarangani, Philippines5d ago · 36 km S of this epicenter
- 4.654 km S of Sarangani, Philippines6d ago · 19 km NE of this epicenter
- 3.0Kepulauan Sangihe, Indonesia6d ago · 6 km NE of this epicenter
- 3.3Mindanao, Philippines10d ago · 50 km N of this epicenter
- 3.2Mindanao, Philippines13d ago · 29 km N of this epicenter
Regional history
Past M5+ earthquakes within 300 km
USGS lists 2,007 M5.0+ earthquakes within 300 km before this one (catalog from 1900; older records are less complete). The strongest:
- 8.31918 Mindanao, Philippines EarthquakeAugust 15, 1918 · 158 km NW of this epicenter
- 8.11924 Mindanao, Philippines EarthquakeApril 14, 1924 · 223 km NE of this epicenter
- 8.01972 Mindanao, Philippines EarthquakeDecember 2, 1972 · 237 km NE of this epicenter
- 7.919 km WNW of Palimbang, PhilippinesAugust 16, 1976 · 208 km NW of this epicenter
- 7.947 km ESE of Kalbay, PhilippinesMarch 14, 1913 · 106 km NE of this epicenter
- 7.825 km SW of Kablalan, PhilippinesJune 7, 2026 · 87 km N of this epicenter
- 7.8161 km SE of Sarangani, PhilippinesApril 1, 1936 · 142 km SE of this epicenter
- 7.7228 km SW of Sarangani, PhilippinesJune 11, 1972 · 165 km SW of this epicenter
History · NOAA
Deadliest earthquakes in this area
NOAA’s significant-earthquake database lists 41 damaging, deadly or tsunami-generating earthquakes within 300 km of this epicenter since 1700, which together caused about 11,282 recorded deaths. The most severe:
- 1976M8.0
Mindanao: S
16 Aug 1976 · 206 km away · intensity VI
8,000 deaths$134 million damagetsunami
- 1856
Sangihe Pulau (Volcanic)
2 Mar 1856 · 133 km away
2,806 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)tsunami
- 1913M7.8
Sangihe Island
14 Mar 1913 · 113 km away · intensity IX
138 deathsModerate damage ($1–5M)tsunami
- 2026M7.8
Mindanao: S; Indonesia
7 Jun 2026 · 86 km away · intensity VIII
107 deaths$25 million damagetsunami
- 1928M7.4
Cotabato,N Coast Of Illana Bay
19 Dec 1928 · 235 km away · intensity VII
97 deathsModerate damage ($1–5M)tsunami
- 1918M8.3
Mindanao: Cotabato
15 Aug 1918 · 158 km away · intensity X
52 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)tsunami
NOAA NCEI Global Significant Earthquake Database. Historical figures are estimates; older records are incomplete.