M7.4 earthquake 50 km NW of Sinabang, Indonesia

Saturday, November 2, 2002, 01:26:10 UTC · 2.824°N, 96.085°E

A magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck 50 km NW of Sinabang, Indonesia on Saturday, November 2, 2002, 01:26:10 UTC, at a depth of 30.0 km (shallow). It is the strongest earthquake within 300 km since an M7.5 on November 21, 1969.

Magnitude: 7.4; Major · mwb
Depth: 30 km; Shallow
Felt reports: 0; Did You Feel It?
Est. shaking: VII; Very strong (ShakeMap)
PAGER alert: None; Not issued
Tsunami: No flag; USGS feed

Outlined circle: this earthquakeDashed circle: 200 km aftershock search areaColoured lines: estimated shaking intensity (USGS ShakeMap)

In context

How big was it, and why here?

Energy released

1.9 megatons of TNT

That is about 126 times the Hiroshima bomb. It released about 3,981 times the energy of a magnitude 5.0.

Tectonic setting

36 km

from the nearest mapped plate boundary, between the Cocos and Nazca plates. Earthquakes cluster along boundaries like this one, where plates collide, pull apart or slide past each other.

Depth: shallow

30 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 200 km

USGS lists 25 M2.5+ earthquakes within 200 km in the following 30 days; the largest was M6.3 on November 2, 2002. Most nearby activity right after a large earthquake is aftershocks, which usually become less frequent over days and weeks.

Time after the mainshock on a logarithmic scale (first hours stretched), magnitude on the vertical axis. M2.5+ events from USGS.

Regional history

Past M5+ earthquakes within 300 km

USGS lists 231 M5.0+ earthquakes within 300 km before this one (catalog from 1900; older records are less complete). The strongest:

History · NOAA

Deadliest earthquakes in this area

NOAA’s significant-earthquake database lists 16 damaging, deadly or tsunami-generating earthquakes within 300 km of this epicenter since 1700, which together caused about 2,209 recorded deaths. The most severe:

1907M8.2
Nw Sumatra: Gunungsitoli, Barus
4 Jan 1907 · 64 km away
2,188 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)tsunami
1936
N Sumatera: Tapanuli, Karo
9 Sep 1936 · 174 km away · intensity VIII
17 deathsModerate damage ($1–5M)
2002M7.3
Sumatera: Simeulue
2 Nov 2002 · 0 km away
3 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)
1990M6.8
N Sumatera, Blangkejeren, Kutacane
15 Nov 1990 · 194 km away
1 death$2 million damage
1843M7.3
Sw. Sumatra
5 Jan 1843 · 259 km away · intensity XI
Severe damage ($5–24M)tsunami
1837M7.3
Banda Atjeh
29 Sep 1837 · 298 km away
Moderate damage ($1–5M)tsunami

NOAA NCEI Global Significant Earthquake Database. Historical figures are estimates; older records are incomplete.

Nearby trackers