Reviewed by USGSIndonesia52y ago
M6.8 earthquake 209 km SW of Padang, Indonesia
Tuesday, December 24, 1974, 06:55:47 UTC · 2.308°S, 99.043°E
A magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck 209 km SW of Padang, Indonesia on Tuesday, December 24, 1974, 06:55:47 UTC, at a depth of 33.0 km (shallow). It is the strongest earthquake within 300 km since an M7.0 on May 8, 1946.
- Magnitude
- 6.8
- Strong · ms
- Depth
- 33 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 earthquakeColoured lines: estimated shaking intensity (USGS ShakeMap)
In context
How big was it, and why here?
Energy released
239 kilotons of TNT
That is about 16 times the Hiroshima bomb. It released about 501 times the energy of a magnitude 5.0.
Tectonic setting
41 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
33 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 100 km
USGS has not published any M2.5+ earthquake within 100 km in the 30 days after this event.
Regional history
Past M5+ earthquakes within 300 km
USGS lists 77 M5.0+ earthquakes within 300 km before this one (catalog from 1900; older records are less complete). The strongest:
- 7.726 km S of Sijunjung, IndonesiaJune 9, 1943 · 260 km NE of this epicenter
- 7.6212 km W of Pariaman, IndonesiaDecember 28, 1935 · 243 km N of this epicenter
- 7.676 km SSW of Sungai Penuh, IndonesiaJune 3, 1909 · 243 km E of this epicenter
- 7.0122 km W of Pariaman, IndonesiaMay 8, 1946 · 176 km N of this epicenter
- 6.743 km ESE of Sijunjung, IndonesiaMay 21, 1967 · 297 km NE of this epicenter
- 6.7106 km S of Sungai Penuh, IndonesiaJuly 1, 1926 · 263 km E of this epicenter
- 6.692 km S of Sungai Penuh, IndonesiaJanuary 5, 1944 · 260 km E of this epicenter
- 6.6142 km WNW of Pariaman, IndonesiaJanuary 2, 1936 · 245 km N of this epicenter
History · NOAA
Deadliest earthquakes in this area
NOAA’s significant-earthquake database lists 12 damaging, deadly or tsunami-generating earthquakes within 300 km of this epicenter since 1700, which together caused about 2,355 recorded deaths. The most severe:
- 1861M8.5
Lagundi, Simuk, Tello I
16 Feb 1861 · 225 km away · intensity IX
1,105 deathsModerate damage ($1–5M)tsunami
- 1861M7.0
Sw. Sumatra
9 Mar 1861 · 283 km away
950 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)tsunami
- 1797M8.0
Sw. Sumatra
10 Feb 1797 · 257 km away · intensity IX
300 deathsModerate damage ($1–5M)tsunami
- 1909M7.6
Sw Sumatra: Kerintji, Redjanglebong
3 Jun 1909 · 220 km away
Severe damage ($5–24M)tsunami
- 1833M8.3
Sumatra: Bengkulu
24 Nov 1833 · 163 km away · intensity IX
Moderate damage ($1–5M)tsunami
- 1935M7.9
N Sumatera: Batu I,Padang,Sibolga
28 Dec 1935 · 271 km away · intensity VIII
Moderate damage ($1–5M)tsunami
NOAA NCEI Global Significant Earthquake Database. Historical figures are estimates; older records are incomplete.