Reviewed by USGSIndonesia25d ago
M5.7 earthquake 163 km WSW of Abepura, Indonesia
Wednesday, September 2, 2026, 00:04:54 UTC · 3.267°S, 139.321°E
A magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck 163 km WSW of Abepura, Indonesia on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, 00:04:54 UTC, at a depth of 66.0 km (shallow). The USGS PAGER alert is green: low likelihood of casualties and damage. It is the strongest earthquake within 300 km since an M5.7 on March 26, 2026.
- Magnitude
- 5.7
- Moderate · mb
- Depth
- 66 km
- Shallow
- Felt reports
- 0
- Did You Feel It?
- Est. shaking
- IV
- Light (ShakeMap)
- PAGER alert
- Green
- Impact estimate
- 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
5 kilotons of TNT
That is about 1/3 of the Hiroshima bomb. It released about 11 times the energy of a magnitude 5.0.
Tectonic setting
51 km
from the nearest mapped plate boundary, between the Woodlark and Maoke plates. Earthquakes cluster along boundaries like this one, where plates collide, pull apart or slide past each other.
Depth: shallow
66 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
Modelled from the ShakeMap and population data. Alert level green: low likelihood of casualties and damage.
- IV · Light shaking
- 278,000 people
- III · Weak shaking
- 521,000 people
Estimated shaking in nearby towns
- WamenaPopulation 65,000IV · Light
After the main event
Aftershocks within 75 km
USGS lists 1 M2.5+ earthquake within 75 km since this event; the largest was M4.6 on September 24, 2026. 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 896 M5.0+ earthquakes within 300 km before this one (catalog from 1900; older records are less complete). The strongest:
- 7.8230 km W of Abepura, IndonesiaJune 1, 1906 · 120 km NW of this epicenter
- 7.8New Guinea, Papua New GuineaSeptember 20, 1935 · 238 km E of this epicenter
- 7.7120 km SW of Abepura, IndonesiaJanuary 10, 1971 · 46 km E of this epicenter
- 7.6158 km WSW of Abepura, IndonesiaOctober 26, 1926 · 43 km N of this epicenter
- 7.5143 km WSW of Abepura, IndonesiaMay 28, 1968 · 45 km N of this epicenter
- 7.593 km SW of Aitape, Papua New GuineaJuly 29, 1917 · 272 km E of this epicenter
- 7.3195 km E of Biak, IndonesiaApril 2, 1947 · 292 km NW of this epicenter
- 7.2250 km ESE of Biak, IndonesiaSeptember 19, 1950 · 185 km NW of this epicenter
History · NOAA
Deadliest earthquakes in this area
NOAA’s significant-earthquake database lists 14 damaging, deadly or tsunami-generating earthquakes within 300 km of this epicenter since 1700, which together caused about 6,568 recorded deaths. The most severe:
- 1976M7.1
New Guinea: Irian Jaya
25 Jun 1976 · 171 km away
6,000 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)
- 1981M6.7
New Guinea: Irian Jaya: Jayawijaya Mts
19 Jan 1981 · 146 km away
305 deaths$5 million damage
- 1976M7.1
New Guinea: Irian Jaya: Jayawijaya
29 Oct 1976 · 154 km away · intensity VIII
133 deathsLimited damage (under $1M)
- 1989M5.8
Kurima District, Baliem River
1 Aug 1989 · 142 km away
120 deaths$1 million damage
- 1900M6.9
Nw. Irian Jaya
7 Oct 1900 · 111 km away
5 deathsLimited damage (under $1M)tsunami
- 2023M5.1
New Guinea: Irian Jaya: Jayapura
9 Feb 2023 · 154 km away · intensity VIII
4 deathsLimited damage (under $1M)
NOAA NCEI Global Significant Earthquake Database. Historical figures are estimates; older records are incomplete.