NewKerala.com

4.6 Magnitude Quake Hits Northern Sumatra, Highlighting Indonesia's Seismic Risk

A magnitude 4.6 earthquake struck Northern Sumatra, Indonesia, on December 28, according to the National Center for Seismology. This event follows other recent tremors in the same region, including a magnitude 4.4 quake earlier in December. Indonesia is highly prone to seismic activity due to its position on the Pacific "Ring of Fire," a major zone of volcanoes and earthquakes. The Ring of Fire is a 40,000km-long belt that experiences 90% of the world's earthquakes.

Key Points: 4.6 Earthquake Strikes Northern Sumatra, Indonesia

  • Magnitude 4.6 quake hits Sumatra
  • Depth of 64 kilometers
  • Part of recent seismic activity
  • Located on the Pacific "Ring of Fire"
1 min read

Indonesia: Earthquake of magnitude 4.6 strikes Northern Sumatra

A magnitude 4.6 earthquake struck Northern Sumatra, Indonesia. Learn about the quake's details, recent seismic activity, and why Indonesia is prone to earthquakes.

"Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and tsunamis frequently strike Indonesia... because of its location on the 'Ring of Fire.' - Geological Report"

Bali, December 28

An earthquake of magnitude 4.6 struck Northern Sumatra on Sunday morning, as reported by the National Center for Seismology.

In a post on X, the NCS said, "EQ of M: 4.6, On: 28/12/2025 07:45:56 IST, Lat: 0.41 N, Long: 99.75 E, Depth: 64 Km, Location: Northern Sumatra, Indonesia."

Earlier on December 3, an earthquake of magnitude 4.4 had struck Northern Sumatra.

"EQ of M: 4.4, On: 03/12/2025 02:20:33 IST, Lat: 2.78 N, Long: 97.90 E, Depth: 10 Km, Location: Northern Sumatra, Indonesia", NCS wrote on X.

On November 26, an earthquake of magnitude 4.5 struck Northern Sumatra.

Earlier in October, a strong earthquake measuring 6.6 on the Richter scale struck West Papua, Indonesia, as per the NCS.

The quake occurred at 11:57 am (IST) with its epicentre located at latitude 2.26 degrees South and longitude 138.86 degrees East, at a depth of 55 kilometres beneath the surface.

Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and tsunamis frequently strike Indonesia, a country of more than 270 million people, because of its location on the "Ring of Fire."

The Ring of Fire, or the Circum-Pacific Belt, is a path along the Pacific Ocean characterised by active volcanoes and frequent earthquakes.

It is a horseshoe-shaped belt about 40,000km long and about 500 km wide that contains two-thirds of the world's total volcanoes and 90 per cent of Earth's earthquakes.

- ANI

Share this article:

Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
Magnitude 4.6 at 64 km depth is significant but hopefully not too destructive. The article mentions so many quakes in just the last two months. The Ring of Fire is truly terrifying. Makes you appreciate the relative seismic stability we have in most parts of India.
D
David E
The science behind this is fascinating but scary. 90% of the world's earthquakes happen in that belt. Indonesia's disaster management must be under constant pressure. Respect to the people living there.
A
Anjali F
While the report is informative, it feels very technical and repetitive with all the latitude-longitude details. Could use more human context - were there any casualties? How are the local communities coping? Just a thought.
K
Karthik V
This is a reminder for us in coastal India as well. We are not on the main Ring but Andaman & Nicobar are vulnerable. Our disaster response systems need to be top-notch. Jai Hind.
S
Sarah B
Having visited Bali, the resilience of the Indonesian people is amazing. They live with this reality. Thoughts are with them. Hope the tremors subside.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Leave a Comment

Minimum 50 characters 0/50