M8.1 earthquake 1939 Sulawesi Earthquake
A magnitude 8.1 earthquake struck 1939 Sulawesi Earthquake on Fri, Dec 22, 1939, 5:00 AM GMT+8 (21:00 UTC), 150 km (93 mi) below the surface.
Map
Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Magnitude
- 8.1 (mw), great
- Local time
- UTC
- 1939-12-21 21:00:45 UTC
- Depth
- 150.0 km (93.2 mi), intermediate-depth
- Epicenter
- 0.018° S, 122.793° E
- Region
- Indonesia
- Strongest shaking
- VII, very strong shaking
- Tsunami flag
- No
- Status
- Reviewed by a seismologist
Shaking
The USGS ShakeMap: shaking estimated from seismic stations and the quake’s size, on the Modified Mercalli intensity scale.
- Strongest estimated
- VII, very strong shaking
- Peak ground acceleration
- 27.0% of gravity
- Peak ground velocity
- 3.6 cm/s
- Map
- Automatic
Did you feel it?
No one has reported feeling this quake to the USGS.
How well it is located
Reviewed by a seismologist.
- Magnitude uncertainty
- ±0.40
- Depth from
- From location
Nearest places
Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.
Nearby
Within 100 km, magnitude 2.5 and up: 0 in the 60 days after this one and 0 in the 30 days before it.
None recorded.
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Sources
From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event iscgem902275. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 3:59 PM UTC.