Reviewed by USGSIndonesia38y ago
M5.3 earthquake 59 km N of Tobelo, Indonesia
Tuesday, February 28, 1989, 05:50:31 UTC · 2.257°N, 127.934°E
A magnitude 5.3 earthquake struck 59 km N of Tobelo, Indonesia on Tuesday, February 28, 1989, 05:50:31 UTC, at a depth of 53.4 km (shallow). It is the strongest earthquake within 300 km since an M5.3 on February 28, 1989.
- Magnitude
- 5.3
- Moderate · mw
- Depth
- 53 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
1 kilotons of TNT
That is about 1/11 of the Hiroshima bomb. It released about 3 times the energy of a magnitude 5.0.
Tectonic setting
4 km
from the nearest mapped plate boundary, between the Sunda and Birds Head plates. Earthquakes cluster along boundaries like this one, where plates collide, pull apart or slide past each other.
Depth: shallow
53 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 3 M2.5+ earthquakes within 75 km in the following 30 days; the largest was M5.1 on March 23, 1989. 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 919 M5.0+ earthquakes within 300 km before this one (catalog from 1900; older records are less complete). The strongest:
- 7.8161 km SE of Sarangani, PhilippinesApril 1, 1936 · 282 km NW of this epicenter
- 7.790 km NE of Tobelo, IndonesiaSeptember 8, 1966 · 63 km E of this epicenter
- 7.7121 km E of Bitung, IndonesiaAugust 10, 1968 · 209 km SW of this epicenter
- 7.6223 km ESE of Sarangani, PhilippinesJanuary 30, 1969 · 275 km N of this epicenter
- 7.564 km NNW of Ternate, IndonesiaJune 25, 1907 · 132 km SW of this epicenter
- 7.5146 km NW of Ternate, IndonesiaAugust 14, 1986 · 165 km W of this epicenter
- 7.5210 km SSE of Sarangani, PhilippinesAugust 17, 1912 · 262 km NW of this epicenter
- 7.5273 km N of Tobelo, IndonesiaOctober 23, 1914 · 217 km N 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 34 recorded deaths. The most severe:
- 1855
Maluku: Ternate Island
14 Jul 1855 · 177 km away · intensity IX
34 deathsModerate damage ($1–5M)
- 1858M7.3
N. Moluccas Islands
13 Dec 1858 · 256 km away
Severe damage ($5–24M)tsunami
- 1989M5.6
Molucca Passage: Morotai, Tanawangu
8 Mar 1989 · 237 km away
Severe damage ($5–24M)
- 1889M8.0
N. Moluccas Islands
6 Sep 1889 · 234 km away
Moderate damage ($1–5M)tsunami
- 1936M7.7
Talaud Islands
1 Apr 1936 · 296 km away · intensity IX
Moderate damage ($1–5M)tsunami
- 1840
Maluku: Ternate Island
14 Feb 1840 · 176 km away
Moderate damage ($1–5M)tsunami
NOAA NCEI Global Significant Earthquake Database. Historical figures are estimates; older records are incomplete.