M6.1 earthquake 203 km SSW of Ternate, Indonesia
A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck 203 km SSW of Ternate, Indonesia on Fri, Jan 3, 1986, 6:43 PM GMT+9 (09:43 UTC), 39 km (24 mi) below the surface.
Map
Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Magnitude
- 6.1 (Mw, moment), strong
- Magnitude from
- USGS National Earthquake Information Center
- Local time
- UTC
- 1986-01-03 09:43:28 UTC
- Depth
- 39.1 km (24.3 mi), shallow
- Epicenter
- 0.972° S, 126.868° E
- Region
- Indonesia
- Strongest shaking
- V, moderate shaking
- Tsunami flag
- No
- Status
- Reviewed by a seismologist
Magnitude estimates
Different scales measure different things and differ by a few tenths. The USGS marks one as preferred, and it is the one this page uses.
| Mag. | Scale | Computed by | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.1 | Mw, moment | USGS National Earthquake Information Center | Preferred · Reviewed |
| 6.06 | Mw, moment | ISC-GEM global catalog | Final · ±0.1 |
| 6.1 | Mwc, centroid moment | Global CMT project | Preliminary |
What happened
The USGS’s account of the effects of this earthquake.
CENTROID, MOMENT TENSOR (HRV) Data Used: GDSN L.P.B.: 16S, 31C Centroid Location: Origin Time 09:43:35.6 0.4 Lat 0.84S 0.05 Lon 126.74E 0.03 Dep 31.0 2.0 Half-duration 3.6 Moment Tensor; Scale 10**25 D-CM Mrr=0.82 0.03 Mtt=-0.08 0.03 Mff=-0.74 0.05 Mrt=0.07 0.05 Mrf=-1.28 0.09 Mtf=0.26 0.03 Principal Axes: (T) Val=1.54 Plg=60 Azm=95 (N) Val=-0.03 Plg=7 Azm=352 (P) Val=-1.51 Plg=29 Azm=258 Best Double Couple:Mo=1.5*10**25 NP1:Strike=329 Dip=18 Slip=66 NP2:Strike=174 Dip=74 Slip=98
From the USGS event page for usp0002pqg. U.S. Geological Survey text and figures are in the public domain.
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
- 6.3% of gravity
- Peak ground velocity
- 1.8 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.
- Depth from
- CONSTRAINED_BY_DEPTH_PHASES
Nearest places
Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.
Nearby
Within 100 km, magnitude 3.1 and up: 5 in the 60 days after this one and 0 in the 30 days before it.
After
- 5.1228 km S of Sofifi, Indonesia · 14878 days ago · 83 km deep · 82 km away
- 5.2221 km S of Sofifi, Indonesia · 14877 days ago · 33 km deep · 64 km away
- 4.8204 km SW of Ternate, Indonesia · 14860 days ago · 33 km deep · 66 km away
- 4.5220 km SSW of Sofifi, Indonesia · 14830 days ago · 33 km deep · 26 km away
- 4.7237 km SSW of Sofifi, Indonesia · 14826 days ago · 33 km deep · 44 km away
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Sources
From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event usp0002pqg (also filed as gcmtb010386a, gcmt19860103094327, atlas19860103094330, iscgem504873). Read Thu, Oct 1, 2026, 3:54 AM UTC.