Top 10 Largest Earthquakes in Indonesia in Early 2023: Aceh Singkil Ranked Highest

The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) reported a 6.2 magnitude (M) earthquake in Aceh Singkil Regency, Aceh Province, on Monday at 05:30 WIB (January 16, 2023).

The epicenter was located at 1.91° North Latitude (NL) and 97.83° East Longitude (EL), approximately 47 kilometers (km) southeast of Aceh Singkil, with a depth of 23 km. Despite its magnitude, the earthquake did not have the potential to trigger a tsunami.

From January 1-16, 2023, there were 10 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5 M or greater. The Aceh Singkil earthquake was the strongest.

The next largest earthquake in the past two weeks occurred 90 km southeast of Pacitan Regency, East Java (January 9, 2023), with a magnitude of 5.6 M. The earthquake's coordinates were 8.99° SL and 111.16° EL, with a depth of 10 km.

Next, an earthquake occurred 197 km southwest of Southwest Maluku (January 10, 2023) with a magnitude of 5.5 M. Then in Kaur, Bengkulu (January 14, 2023) with a magnitude of 5.3 M, and Jayapura City, Papua (January 3, 2023) with a magnitude of 5.2 M.

There were also earthquakes 129 km southwest of Southwest Maluku (January 13, 2023) with a magnitude of 5.1 M, then an earthquake 44 km northeast of Waropen, Papua (January 11, 2023) with a magnitude of 5.1 M, and in Bogor City, West Java (January 15, 2023), Mamberamo, Papua, and Kaimana, West Papua (January 3, 2023), each with a magnitude of 5 M.

Here is a list of the depths of the epicenters of earthquakes with a magnitude of 5 M or greater that occurred between January 1-16, 2023:

1. Aceh Singkil Regency, Aceh (January 16, 2023): 23 km
2. Bogor City, West Java (January 15, 2023): 132 km
3. Kaur, Bengkulu (January 14, 2023): 18 km
4. Mamberamo, Papua (January 3, 2023): 54 km
5. Southwest Maluku (January 13, 2023): 101 km
6. Waropen, Papua (January 11, 2023): 60 km
7. Southwest Maluku (January 10, 2023): 128 km
8. Pacitan, East Java (January 9, 2023): 10 km
9. Jayapura City, Papua (January 3, 2023): 10 km
10. Kaimana, West Papua (January 3, 2023): 10 km