M6.8 earthquake 180 km N of Baukau, Timor Leste
A magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck 180 km N of Baukau, Timor Leste on Tue, Jul 17, 1956, 4:34 PM GMT+9 (07:34 UTC), 451 km (280 mi) below the surface.
Map
Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Magnitude
- 6.8 (mw), strong
- Local time
- UTC
- 1956-07-17 07:34:11 UTC
- Depth
- 450.8 km (280.1 mi), deep
- Epicenter
- 6.856° S, 126.245° E
- Region
- Timor Leste
- Strongest shaking
- III, weak 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
- III, weak shaking
- Peak ground acceleration
- 0.5% of gravity
- Peak ground velocity
- -1.0 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
- ±0.20
- 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.
Earthquakes todayTimor Leste earthquakesLive radar here
Sources
From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event iscgem888489. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 6:31 AM UTC.