Reviewed by USGSIndonesia62y ago
M5.9 earthquake 8 km NNE of Bulakamba, Indonesia
Sunday, January 17, 1965, 20:57:41 UTC · 6.807°S, 108.988°E
A magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck 8 km NNE of Bulakamba, Indonesia on Sunday, January 17, 1965, 20:57:41 UTC, at a depth of 227.9 km (intermediate). It is the strongest earthquake within 300 km since an M7.0 on December 15, 1963.
- Magnitude
- 5.9
- Moderate · mw
- Depth
- 228 km
- Intermediate
- Felt reports
- 0
- Did You Feel It?
- Est. shaking
- IV
- Light (ShakeMap)
- PAGER alert
- None
- Not issued
- Tsunami
- No flag
- USGS feed
Outlined circle: this earthquakeColoured lines: estimated shaking intensity (USGS ShakeMap)
In context
How big was it, and why here?
Energy released
10 kilotons of TNT
That is about the energy of the Hiroshima bomb. It released about 22 times the energy of a magnitude 5.0.
Tectonic setting
379 km
from the nearest mapped plate boundary, between the Sunda and Australian plates. Earthquakes this far from a boundary happen on faults inside a plate, often less frequently but sometimes strongly.
Depth: intermediate
228 km
Intermediate-depth earthquakes usually break inside a plate that is sinking into the mantle. Shaking spreads over a wide area but is gentler at the epicenter than a shallow quake of the same size.
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 has not published any M2.5+ earthquake within 75 km in the 30 days after this event.
Regional history
Past M5+ earthquakes within 300 km
USGS lists 19 M5.0+ earthquakes within 300 km before this one (catalog from 1900; older records are less complete). The strongest:
- 7.487 km SSW of Srandakan, IndonesiaJuly 23, 1943 · 223 km SE of this epicenter
- 7.0164 km N of Pamanukan, IndonesiaDecember 15, 1963 · 245 km NW of this epicenter
- 6.992 km S of Pundong, IndonesiaSeptember 27, 1937 · 271 km SE of this epicenter
- 6.3136 km S of Kawalu, IndonesiaSeptember 14, 1944 · 226 km SW of this epicenter
- 6.2187 km S of Banjar, IndonesiaMay 12, 1957 · 293 km SW of this epicenter
- 6.068 km S of Banjar, IndonesiaFebruary 19, 1958 · 201 km SW of this epicenter
- 6.042 km SSW of Bambanglipuro, IndonesiaOctober 12, 1957 · 213 km SE of this epicenter
- 6.083 km SSW of Banjar, IndonesiaApril 24, 1919 · 244 km SW of this epicenter
History · NOAA
Deadliest earthquakes in this area
NOAA’s significant-earthquake database lists 19 damaging, deadly or tsunami-generating earthquakes within 300 km of this epicenter since 1700, which together caused about 799 recorded deaths. The most severe:
- 1924
Java: Wonosobo
2 Dec 1924 · 115 km away · intensity IX
727 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)
- 1924
Java
12 Nov 1924 · 105 km away
60 deaths
- 1875
W Java: Kuningan
25 Oct 1875 · 77 km away · intensity VIII
7 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)
- 1867
Java: Jogyakarta, Surakarta
10 Jun 1867 · 191 km away · intensity IX
5 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)tsunami
- 1840M7.0
Java: Purworejo
4 Jan 1840 · 213 km away · intensity IX
Severe damage ($5–24M)tsunami
- 1834
Java: Bogor, Cinajur
10 Oct 1834 · 220 km away · intensity IX
Severe damage ($5–24M)
NOAA NCEI Global Significant Earthquake Database. Historical figures are estimates; older records are incomplete.