Reviewed by USGSIndonesia60y ago
M5.6 earthquake 26 km ENE of Reuleuet, Indonesia
Wednesday, April 12, 1967, 05:11:18 UTC · 5.349°N, 96.483°E
A magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck 26 km ENE of Reuleuet, Indonesia on Wednesday, April 12, 1967, 05:11:18 UTC, at a depth of 50.0 km (shallow). It is the strongest earthquake within 300 km since an M6.7 on April 12, 1967.
- Magnitude
- 5.6
- Moderate · mw
- Depth
- 50 km
- Shallow
- Felt reports
- 0
- Did You Feel It?
- Est. shaking
- V
- Moderate (ShakeMap)
- PAGER alert
- None
- Not issued
- Tsunami
- No flag
- USGS feed
Outlined circle: this earthquakeDashed circle: 75 km aftershock search areaColoured lines: estimated shaking intensity (USGS ShakeMap)
In context
How big was it, and why here?
Energy released
4 kilotons of TNT
That is about 1/4 of the Hiroshima bomb. It released about 9 times the energy of a magnitude 5.0.
Tectonic setting
54 km
from the nearest mapped plate boundary, between the Sunda and Burma plates. Earthquakes cluster along boundaries like this one, where plates collide, pull apart or slide past each other.
Depth: shallow
50 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.
Did You Feel It?
Where it was felt
No “Did You Feel It?” reports have been published for this event yet. If you felt it, you can add your report on the USGS website.
I felt it — report to USGS ↗USGS PAGER estimate
Who was exposed to shaking
USGS publishes PAGER impact estimates for significant earthquakes, usually within an hour. No PAGER estimate is available for this event.
After the main event
Aftershocks within 75 km
USGS lists 1 M2.5+ earthquake within 75 km in the following 30 days; the largest was M5.7 on April 22, 1967. Most nearby activity right after a large earthquake is aftershocks, which usually become less frequent over days and weeks.
Regional history
Past M5+ earthquakes within 300 km
USGS lists 47 M5.0+ earthquakes within 300 km before this one (catalog from 1900; older records are less complete). The strongest:
- 7.186 km WSW of Pangkalan Brandan, IndonesiaSeptember 19, 1936 · 222 km SE of this epicenter
- 7.040 km NE of Meulaboh, IndonesiaAugust 3, 1935 · 108 km S of this epicenter
- 6.928 km NNE of Sinabang, IndonesiaNovember 4, 1917 · 294 km S of this epicenter
- 6.975 km WSW of Banda Aceh, IndonesiaAugust 23, 1936 · 196 km W of this epicenter
- 6.95 km W of Banda Aceh, IndonesiaApril 2, 1964 · 135 km W of this epicenter
- 6.7171 km W of Meulaboh, IndonesiaDecember 9, 1929 · 250 km SW of this epicenter
- 6.77 km SSE of Reuleuet, IndonesiaApril 12, 1967 · 29 km SW of this epicenter
- 6.720 km SSW of Sigli, IndonesiaJuly 23, 1945 · 67 km W of this epicenter
History · NOAA
Deadliest earthquakes in this area
NOAA’s significant-earthquake database lists 15 damaging, deadly or tsunami-generating earthquakes within 300 km of this epicenter since 1700, which together caused about 40 recorded deaths. The most severe:
- 1936
N Sumatera: Tapanuli, Karo
9 Sep 1936 · 234 km away · intensity VIII
17 deathsModerate damage ($1–5M)
- 1967M6.1
N Sumatera,Malay Peninsula
12 Apr 1967 · 92 km away
14 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)tsunami
- 1936M7.3
Banda Aceh,Lhok Sukon,Lhoksemawe
23 Aug 1936 · 214 km away · intensity VIII
9 deathsModerate damage ($1–5M)tsunami
- 1964M7.0
Banda Aceh
2 Apr 1964 · 106 km away · intensity VII
Severe damage ($5–24M)tsunami
- 1837M7.3
Banda Atjeh
29 Sep 1837 · 56 km away
Moderate damage ($1–5M)tsunami
- 1949M6.7
Banda Aceh
9 May 1949 · 169 km away
tsunami
NOAA NCEI Global Significant Earthquake Database. Historical figures are estimates; older records are incomplete.