M 8.1 earthquake – 1963 Banda Sea Earthquake

Nov 4, 1963 · 01:17 UTC · Nov 4, 1963
Local time: Nov 4, 1963 · 10:17 (UTC+9)

GreatIntermediate · 110 km Reviewed by a seismologist

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Magnitude: 8.1moment magnitude (mw)
Depth: 110 kmIntermediate earthquake
Epicenter: -6.957, 129.605336 km from Lospalos
Energy released: 21 megatons of TNTabout 1,420 × Hiroshima
Felt reports: —"Did You Feel It?" responses
Shaking intensity: 7.3max. instrumental (MMI)
Aftershocks: 0M2.5+ within 327 km
Significance: 1,009USGS score, 0–1,000+

The strongest within 300 km on record

No earthquake this strong has been recorded this close since our catalog begins in 1900.

How strong was it?

Great earthquake. It released 21 megatons of TNT, 44,668 times the energy of a magnitude 5.0. Bars use the magnitude scale: every step is about 32 times more energy.

Chile 1960 M 9.5

Japan 2011 M 9.1

This earthquake M 8.1

San Francisco 1906 M 7.9

Turkey 2023 M 7.8

Haiti 2010 M 7.0

Northridge 1994 M 6.7

The strongest earthquakes within 300 km

Since 1900.