Reviewed by USGSIndonesia12d ago
M5.5 earthquake 187 km SSW of Pelabuhanratu, Indonesia
Monday, September 14, 2026, 09:27:38 UTC · 8.542°S, 105.873°E
A magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck 187 km SSW of Pelabuhanratu, Indonesia on Monday, September 14, 2026, 09:27:38 UTC, at a depth of 10.0 km (shallow). USGS received 2 “Did You Feel It?” reports, with a maximum reported intensity of II (weak). 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 August 21, 2026.
- Magnitude
- 5.5
- Moderate · mb
- Depth
- 10 km
- Shallow
- Felt reports
- 2
- Max intensity II
- Est. shaking
- —
- No 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
3 kilotons of TNT
That is about 1/6 of the Hiroshima bomb. It released about 6 times the energy of a magnitude 5.0.
Tectonic setting
53 km
from the nearest mapped plate boundary, between the Sunda and Australian plates. Earthquakes cluster along boundaries like this one, where plates collide, pull apart or slide past each other.
Depth: shallow
10 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
Reports sent by people to USGS, grouped by place (most reports first). Intensity uses the Modified Mercalli scale (I–X): what people felt, not the magnitude.
| Place | Intensity | Reports | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Karawang, Jawa Barat, Indonesia | II · Weak | 1 | 292 km |
| Ciputat, Banten, Indonesia | II · Weak | 1 | 270 km |
USGS PAGER estimate
Who was exposed to shaking
USGS publishes PAGER impact estimates for significant earthquakes, usually within an hour. No populated area was estimated to feel noticeable shaking.
After the main event
Aftershocks within 75 km
USGS lists 3 M2.5+ earthquakes within 75 km since this event; the largest was M5.2 on September 18, 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 550 M5.0+ earthquakes within 300 km before this one (catalog from 1900; older records are less complete). The strongest:
- 7.7226 km SSW of Singaparna, IndonesiaJuly 17, 2006 · 189 km SE of this epicenter
- 7.066 km SSW of Banjar, IndonesiaSeptember 2, 2009 · 178 km NE of this epicenter
- 7.030 km WNW of Labuan, IndonesiaApril 1, 1943 · 251 km N of this epicenter
- 6.9152 km SW of Labuan, IndonesiaAugust 2, 2019 · 184 km NW of this epicenter
- 6.850 km WSW of Labuan, IndonesiaJuly 3, 1954 · 218 km N of this epicenter
- 6.829 km SW of Labuan, IndonesiaOctober 25, 2000 · 223 km N of this epicenter
- 6.7278 km SSW of Kawalu, IndonesiaApril 3, 2011 · 247 km SE of this epicenter
History · NOAA
Deadliest earthquakes in this area
NOAA’s significant-earthquake database lists 27 damaging, deadly or tsunami-generating earthquakes within 300 km of this epicenter since 1700, which together caused about 1,572 recorded deaths. The most severe:
- 2006M7.7
Java
17 Jul 2006 · 189 km away
802 deaths$55 million damagetsunami
- 2022M5.6
W Java: Cianjur
21 Nov 2022 · 227 km away · intensity VIII
635 deaths$256 million damage
- 2009M7.0
Java
2 Sep 2009 · 178 km away
81 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)tsunami
- 1979M6.1
Java
2 Nov 1979 · 280 km away
30 deaths$16 million damage
- 2019M6.9
Java: Banten
2 Aug 2019 · 184 km away
8 deathsModerate damage ($1–5M)tsunami
- 1999M6.5
Pandeglang, W Jawa, Se Sumatera
21 Dec 1999 · 192 km away
5 deaths$4 million damage
NOAA NCEI Global Significant Earthquake Database. Historical figures are estimates; older records are incomplete.