Indonesia earthquakes

M5.9 earthquake 82 km SSE of Waingapu, Indonesia

A magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck 82 km SSE of Waingapu, Indonesia on Wed, Oct 18, 1972, 5:23 AM GMT+8 (21:23 UTC), 29 km (18 mi) below the surface.

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Map

Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.

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The earthquake

Magnitude
5.9 (mw), moderate
Local time
UTC
1972-10-17 21:23:17 UTC
Depth
29.0 km (18.0 mi), shallow
Epicenter
10.374° S, 120.479° E
Region
Indonesia
Strongest shaking
V, moderate 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
V, moderate shaking
Peak ground acceleration
9.1% of gravity
Peak ground velocity
1.6 cm/s
Map
Automatic
USGS ShakeMap: estimated shaking intensity around the epicenter
Estimated shaking intensity. Map: USGS ShakeMap.

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.

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event iscgem768467 (also filed as atlas19721017212315). Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 12:19 PM UTC.