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M6.2 Earthquake Strikes Offshore Halmahera, Indonesia

Preliminary agency assessments say the quake's intermediate depth should limit surface shaking to mostly light levels with low expected casualties.

Overview

  • The USGS and the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre both recorded the event as magnitude 6.2 at a hypocentral depth of about 121 km, with the quake located off Halmahera.
  • The epicenter was tens to a few hundred kilometers from nearby towns, including about 59 km west of Tobelo and roughly 115 km north of Ternate, placing populated areas within the shaking footprint.
  • USGS modeled population exposure and estimated about 597,000 people likely felt light shaking and about 350,000 felt weak shaking from the event.
  • The USGS issued a Green alert indicating a low likelihood of widespread fatalities or major economic loss, noting that this is a rapid probabilistic assessment rather than a final damage tally.
  • Local building types—such as unreinforced brick with concrete floors and precast concrete-frame construction—are known to be more vulnerable to shaking, so authorities and field reports should be monitored for any localized damage or injuries.