Reviewed by USGSTimor Leste2y ago
M5.0 earthquake 91 km NE of Lospalos, Timor Leste
Monday, December 11, 2023, 03:50:20 UTC · 7.946°S, 127.593°E
A magnitude 5.0 earthquake struck 91 km NE of Lospalos, Timor Leste on Monday, December 11, 2023, 03:50:20 UTC, at a depth of 57.1 km (shallow). It is the strongest earthquake within 300 km since an M5.5 on December 2, 2023.
- Magnitude
- 5.0
- Moderate · mww
- Depth
- 57 km
- Shallow
- Felt reports
- 0
- Did You Feel It?
- Est. shaking
- —
- No ShakeMap
- PAGER alert
- None
- Not issued
- Tsunami
- No flag
- USGS feed
Outlined circle: this earthquakeDashed circle: 75 km aftershock search area
In context
How big was it, and why here?
Energy released
477 tons of TNT
That is about 1/32 of the Hiroshima bomb. Each whole step in magnitude is about 32 times more energy.
Tectonic setting
88 km
from the nearest mapped plate boundary, between the Banda Sea and Timor plates. Earthquakes cluster along boundaries like this one, where plates collide, pull apart or slide past each other.
Depth: shallow
57 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 2 M2.5+ earthquakes within 75 km in the following 30 days; the largest was M4.4 on January 4, 2024. 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 1,057 M5.0+ earthquakes within 300 km before this one (catalog from 1900; older records are less complete). The strongest:
- 8.11963 Banda Sea EarthquakeNovember 4, 1963 · 248 km NE of this epicenter
- 7.7Banda SeaNovember 2, 1950 · 215 km NE of this epicenter
- 7.6Pulau Pulau Tanimbar, IndonesiaJanuary 9, 2023 · 284 km E of this epicenter
- 7.6196 km S of Ambon, IndonesiaJanuary 27, 2006 · 281 km N of this epicenter
- 7.3145 km NNE of Lospalos, Timor LesteAugust 30, 1917 · 65 km N of this epicenter
- 7.3125 km NNE of Lospalos, Timor LesteDecember 29, 2021 · 44 km N of this epicenter
- 7.3172 km NE of Lospalos, Timor LesteNovember 24, 1983 · 82 km NE of this epicenter
- 7.3Banda SeaJune 24, 2019 · 244 km NE of this epicenter
History · NOAA
Deadliest earthquakes in this area
NOAA’s significant-earthquake database lists 9 damaging, deadly or tsunami-generating earthquakes within 300 km of this epicenter since 1700, which together caused about 12 recorded deaths. The most severe:
- 1995M6.9
Timor, Dili, Maliana, Maubara
14 May 1995 · 286 km away · intensity VII
11 deathsLimited damage (under $1M)tsunami
- 2023M7.6
Banda Sea
9 Jan 2023 · 287 km away · intensity V
1 deathModerate damage ($1–5M)tsunami
- 1989M6.2
Timor: Alor
14 Jul 1989 · 272 km away
Moderate damage ($1–5M)
- 1963M8.3
Banda Sea
4 Nov 1963 · 250 km away
Limited damage (under $1M)
- 1908M6.6
Timor
23 Mar 1908 · 276 km away
Limited damage (under $1M)tsunami
- 1918M8.1
Banda Sea
18 Nov 1918 · 187 km away
NOAA NCEI Global Significant Earthquake Database. Historical figures are estimates; older records are incomplete.