BMKG: 20 earthquakes shake multiple regions across Indonesia this morning

Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) recorded at least 20 earthquakes with magnitudes ranging from 2.1 to 4.1 across various regions of Indonesia in the early morning of Tuesday, 10 March. To date, there have been no reports of damage or loss of life from the series of earthquakes. BMKG data indicates seismic activity occurred between 00:44 and 05:15 Western Indonesia Time, with epicentres distributed across numerous onshore and offshore areas of Indonesia.

Several regions registered earthquake activity, including the Sumbawa strait, Banda Sea, Flores, Halmahera, South Sumatra, the area south of Java Island, and West Papua. One of the largest earthquakes during this period struck the Banda Sea at 01:13 WIB with a magnitude of 4.1. BMKG recorded the earthquake at coordinates 7.08 degrees South Latitude and 129.99 degrees East Longitude, at a depth of approximately 182 kilometres below sea level.

Additionally, an earthquake was recorded striking the area south of Java Island at 05:15 WIB with a magnitude of 2.9 and a depth of approximately 19 kilometres. The epicentre was located at coordinates 9.67°S and 113.02°E in the waters south of Java.

Beyond these two events, BMKG also recorded numerous other earthquakes with magnitudes ranging from 2.2 to 3.1 across several regions of Indonesia.

Indonesia is a region that frequently experiences seismic activity because it lies along the Pacific Ring of Fire, an area of high tectonic and volcanic activity. The convergence of three major tectonic plates—Eurasia, Indo-Australia, and Pacific—makes the Indonesian region vulnerable to earthquakes. Most earthquakes occurring in this zone are triggered by subduction processes or movements along active fault lines in various regions.

Source mechanism analysis indicates that the earthquakes exhibited a thrust fault movement mechanism. A magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck an area 94 kilometres south-east of Simeulue District on Monday, 3 March 2026, at 11:56 WIB. A magnitude 5.0 earthquake struck the north-west of West Maluku District, Maluku Province, on Tuesday at 00:40 WIB. Considering the epicentre location and hypocentre depth, the earthquakes that occurred were shallow earthquakes triggered by active fault activity in the region. A magnitude 5.0 earthquake struck the south-west of West Pasaman District, West Sumatra.