Earthquakes medium

M 5.2 Earthquake 132 km E of Bitung, Indonesia

Source: USGS · Indonesia

A magnitude 5.2 earthquake was recorded by USGS near 132 km E of Bitung. On the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program scale, M5.2 is classified "Moderate". Among the 1,740 earthquake reports Areazine has published, this M5.2 event ranks stronger than 74% of them (rank #344 by magnitude).

Read this earthquake report in 30 seconds

Magnitude
M 5.2
USGS class
Moderate
Location
132 km E of Bitung
Archive rank
#344 of 1,740
Source
USGS
Published
September 17, 2026
MODERATE

Out of 1,740 earthquake reports Areazine has logged, this one outranks 74% of them — 343 recorded a higher magnitude.

Record status: a point-in-time USGS detection. Aftershocks, revised magnitude, and felt-report data continue to update on USGS's own event page after publication.

What Happened

A M 5.2 mb earthquake struck at 12:34:08 UTC on September 17, 2026 (Unix time 1789626048508). The event was located at 132 km E of Bitung, Indonesia, with a depth of 10 km. The USGS reviewed the event with magnitude type mb.

Location Details

The epicenter was at latitude 1.3156, longitude 126.3092. This places the earthquake 132 km east of Bitung, Indonesia. The 10 km depth is classified as shallow (less than 20 km).

Impact Assessment

No felt reports were recorded. The tsunami flag was 0, indicating no tsunami advisory. No alert level was assigned.

What You Should Know

This magnitude falls in the 5.0-5.9 range, classified as a moderate earthquake that can cause damage to poorly constructed buildings.

Source

Data from USGS: https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/us7000thzp

Original source: USGS Official Notice ↗

Related Earthquakes

All Earthquakes →

M 5.7 Earthquake South of Africa on September 20, 2026

USGS · September 20, 2026

M 3.4 - 122 km S of Yakutat, Alaska

USGS · September 20, 2026

M 3.6 - 55 km SE of Chignik, Alaska

USGS · September 20, 2026

Comparable nationwide notices (length or severity timing) 8

Beyond this USGS earthquake report's own category, Areazine surfaces two nationwide peer sets: length-matched and severity/date-matched notices from elsewhere in the archive, distinct from the same-feed Related list above.

Similar body length

Nearest notices by article body length (826 characters here).

NSW Rural Fire Service Reports Planned Event Under Control Near Walcha 826 chars Planned Burn Alert in Grays Point, Royal National Park 826 chars Planned Burn Alert in Nadgee Nature Reserve, Bega Valley 826 chars Golden State Medical Supply Recalls Carbamazepine Tablets 826 chars

Similar severity timing

Same severity (medium) notices issued closest in time to September 17, 2026.

Yellow Frost Advisory for Corner Brook and Vicinity medium Advice: Grass Fire on Taralga Rd, Goulburn medium Bush Fire Alert: Marthaguy Rd, Tenandra medium Bushfire Alert on Old Northern Rd, Dural medium

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about this USGS earthquake report.

What was the magnitude of this event? ▾
A magnitude 5.2 mb earthquake occurred 132 km east of Bitung, Indonesia, at a depth of 10 km.
What does a magnitude 5.2 ("Moderate") earthquake mean? ▾
The USGS classifies M5.2 as "Moderate" on its Earthquake Hazards Program scale. Events in this range are felt over a wide area and can cause significant damage near the epicenter, particularly to older or unreinforced buildings.
Where does this event rank against Areazine's other recorded earthquakes? ▾
This is the #344 strongest of the 1,740 earthquake reports in Areazine's archive by magnitude, stronger than 74% of them and weaker than 343 others.
Was Bitung likely to feel this earthquake? ▾
This event was centered 132 km E of Bitung. Shaking intensity falls off sharply with distance from the epicenter and depends on depth and local geology, so check the USGS "Did You Feel It?" report for this event for real felt-shaking data rather than assuming from magnitude and distance alone.

The official sources

EPA Outdoor Air Quality Data

Federal monitoring network, every measurement we report

AirNow (EPA / NOAA)

Real-time AQI for every monitored U.S. location

National Weather Service

Active watches, warnings, and advisories, NOAA

CDC Air Quality & Health

Health-impact reference behind every AQI category