August 20, 1997 Earthquake: N. Sumatera, Aceh, Banda Aceh, Medan, Indonesia
A magnitude 6 earthquake struck N. Sumatera, Aceh, Banda Aceh, Medan, Indonesia on August 20, 1997 at 07:15:15 UTC, 33 km below the surface.
Map
Where it struck, with the other significant earthquakes within 200 km. Circles are sized and colored by magnitude; select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Date
- August 20, 1997
- Time
- 07:15:15 UTC
- Place
- N. Sumatera, Aceh, Banda Aceh, Medan, Indonesia
- Magnitude
- 6 (Mw)
- Focal depth
- 33 km (21 mi)
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 4.358° N, 96.494° E
- Country
- Indonesia
The toll
- Damage
- Moderate (about $1 to $5 million)
- Houses destroyed
- Many (101 to 1,000)
Where the literature gives no number, NCEI records a description on a scale of 1 to 4, printed here in its words. Damage is in millions of US dollars of the year of the event, not adjusted for inflation.
What the record says
NCEI’s account, from the sources it cites.
1997, Aug 20. Several hundred houses destroyed in Aceh. Felt at Banda Aceh, Medan and other parts of northern Sumatera.
Felt at Alor Setar, Petaling Jaya, Pinang and Shah Alam,
Malaysia. Also felt at Ban Hat Yai and Songkhla, Thailand. (reference #1053)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- December 26, 2004, Off West Coast, Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia
- December 6, 2016, Pidie Jaya, Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia
- July 2, 2013, Banda Aceh, Indonesia
- September 9, 1936, Tapanuli, Karo, N Sumatera, Indonesia
- April 12, 1967, N Sumatera,malay Peninsula, Indonesia-Malaysia
- November 2, 2002, Simeulue, Sumatera, Indonesia
- February 20, 2008, Aceh Province, Sumatera, Indonesia
- January 21, 2013, N, Sumatera, Indonesia
- October 22, 2013, Banda Aceh, Indonesia
- November 15, 1990, N Sumatera, Blangkejeren, Kutacane, Indonesia
- July 25, 2012, Banda Aceh, Indonesia
- May 1, 1816, Penang Island, Indonesia, Malaysia
- May 9, 2010, Simeulue Island, N. Sumatra, Indonesia
- May 19, 1887, Sigli, Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia
- May 19, 1891, Sigli, Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia
More
Significant earthquakes of 1997The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1997Recent earthquakes near hereThis day in weather history
Sources
Significant earthquakes from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, Global Historical Hazard Database, cited as NCEI/WDS, doi:10.7289/V5PN93H7. Public domain. Read 2026-09-24. NCEI earthquake 5471.