M5.7 earthquake 80 km N of Ternate, Indonesia
A magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck 80 km N of Ternate, Indonesia on Fri, Dec 11, 1970, 5:05 AM GMT+9 (20:05 UTC), 115 km (71 mi) below the surface.
A larger quake followed: M5.9 144 km WNW of Tobelo, Indonesia. This one was a foreshock.
Map
Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Magnitude
- 5.7 (mw), moderate
- Local time
- UTC
- 1970-12-10 20:05:36 UTC
- Depth
- 115.0 km (71.5 mi), intermediate-depth
- Epicenter
- 1.506° N, 127.276° E
- Region
- Indonesia
- Strongest shaking
- IV, light 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
- IV, light shaking
- Peak ground acceleration
- 2.3% of gravity
- Peak ground velocity
- -0.2 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: 2 in the 60 days after this one and 0 in the 30 days before it.
After
Earthquakes todayIndonesia earthquakesLive radar here
Sources
From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event iscgem789056. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 9:41 AM UTC.