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Earthquakes in Timor Leste

Timor Leste ranks 21st of 215 countries by catalogued seismic activity - a highly seismically active country. Below: the full M6+ event history, magnitude and depth profile, and yearly trend, straight from USGS data.

3,408
M4+ events (since 2005)
87
Major M6+ (since 1900)
M7.5
Strongest
~162
M4+ per year

The verdict

Timor Leste has logged 3,408 M4+ earthquakes since 2005 and 87 major M6+ events since 1900, the strongest reaching magnitude 7.5.

#21
of 215 countries by M4+ activity
3,408
catalogued M4+ events (2005–present)
M7.5
strongest earthquake on record
87
major M6+ events since 1900

Average catalogued magnitude is 4.4 - most events are moderate M4–5 tremors that are felt but rarely cause damage.

Major (M6+) earthquakes in Timor Leste by year

Count of significant (magnitude 6.0+) events catalogued each year

Value

What this shows Timor Leste's most active year for major earthquakes was 2008 (6 M6+ events). Major-quake counts are irregular, they track the episodic release of tectonic stress, not a smooth trend.

Source USGS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat) As of 2025

Magnitude distribution of major events

Breakdown of the 87 significant (M6+) earthquakes on record for Timor Leste.

M7.0-7.9

9

10.3%

M6.0-6.9

78

89.7%

Depth of major earthquakes

Hypocentral depth of the 87 M6+ events, shallow quakes shake the surface hardest. Average depth: 158 km.

Shallow (<70 km)

41

47.1% of events

Intermediate (70–300 km)

28

32.2% of events

Deep (>300 km)

18

20.7% of events

Strongest earthquakes in Timor Leste

The 10 most powerful events on record (USGS, since 1900).

Mag Location Depth
7.5 63 km NW of Maubara, Timor Leste 10.0 km
7.3 125 km NNE of Lospalos, Timor Leste 165.5 km
7.3 172 km NE of Lospalos, Timor Leste 178.5 km
7.2 187 km N of Baukau, Timor Leste 430.5 km
7.2 58 km ENE of Lospalos, Timor Leste 35.0 km
7.1 297 km NE of Lospalos, Timor Leste 141.9 km
7.1 186 km NE of Lospalos, Timor Leste 30.2 km
7.0 77 km N of Baukau, Timor Leste 25.0 km
7.0 278 km NE of Lospalos, Timor Leste 33.0 km
7.0 166 km NNW of Maubara, Timor Leste 531.8 km

Significant earthquake record (87 events)

Every catalogued magnitude-6.0-and-above earthquake in Timor Leste since 1900, most recent first.

Mag Location Depth
6.2 57 km NW of Pante Makasar, Timor Leste 75.0 km
6.2 37 km NE of Lospalos, Timor Leste 49.0 km
6.0 184 km NE of Lospalos, Timor Leste 119.0 km
7.3 125 km NNE of Lospalos, Timor Leste 165.5 km
6.3 197 km N of Likisá, Timor Leste 539.0 km
6.4 226 km NE of Lospalos, Timor Leste 136.0 km
6.7 151 km NE of Lospalos, Timor Leste 152.0 km
6.5 47 km NW of Maubara, Timor Leste 20.0 km
6.2 179 km NE of Lospalos, Timor Leste 10.0 km
6.4 224 km NE of Lospalos, Timor Leste 9.9 km
6.5 180 km NE of Lospalos, Timor Leste 112.0 km
6.9 236 km N of Baukau, Timor Leste 469.8 km
6.0 241 km NE of Lospalos, Timor Leste 134.9 km
6.2 238 km NE of Lospalos, Timor Leste 126.0 km
6.1 219 km NE of Lospalos, Timor Leste 146.7 km
6.4 144 km NNW of Maubara, Timor Leste 398.0 km
6.0 149 km NE of Lospalos, Timor Leste 122.0 km
6.0 72 km N of Metinaro, Timor Leste 10.0 km
6.1 79 km N of Metinaro, Timor Leste 13.0 km
6.2 185 km ENE of Lospalos, Timor Leste 19.0 km
6.2 154 km NNE of Lospalos, Timor Leste 8.0 km
6.0 121 km NNE of Lospalos, Timor Leste 175.9 km
6.1 260 km NNE of Lospalos, Timor Leste 345.0 km
6.4 49 km NW of Maubara, Timor Leste 10.0 km
7.5 63 km NW of Maubara, Timor Leste 10.0 km
6.0 131 km N of Manatutu, Timor Leste 409.2 km
6.2 279 km NE of Lospalos, Timor Leste 33.0 km
6.0 138 km NE of Lospalos, Timor Leste 131.8 km
6.4 211 km NE of Lospalos, Timor Leste 141.9 km
7.0 278 km NE of Lospalos, Timor Leste 33.0 km
6.7 282 km NE of Lospalos, Timor Leste 33.0 km
6.1 298 km NE of Lospalos, Timor Leste 215.6 km
7.1 297 km NE of Lospalos, Timor Leste 141.9 km
6.0 279 km NE of Lospalos, Timor Leste 180.6 km
6.9 27 km NNW of Maubara, Timor Leste 11.2 km
6.2 218 km NNW of Maubara, Timor Leste 595.6 km
6.5 138 km NE of Lospalos, Timor Leste 158.8 km
6.4 226 km NE of Lospalos, Timor Leste 33.0 km
6.3 216 km NE of Lospalos, Timor Leste 140.2 km
6.9 81 km NW of Maubara, Timor Leste 28.8 km
6.6 106 km N of Baukau, Timor Leste 18.4 km
6.7 59 km N of Maubara, Timor Leste 9.8 km
6.2 108 km NNE of Lospalos, Timor Leste 196.4 km
6.9 184 km NE of Lospalos, Timor Leste 86.3 km
6.5 152 km N of Lospalos, Timor Leste 314.5 km
6.7 108 km NNW of Pante Makasar, Timor Leste 33.0 km
6.0 206 km NW of Maubara, Timor Leste 627.9 km
6.0 197 km NNW of Maubara, Timor Leste 595.5 km
6.4 108 km NNE of Lospalos, Timor Leste 136.9 km
7.3 172 km NE of Lospalos, Timor Leste 178.5 km
6.2 150 km N of Manatutu, Timor Leste 515.2 km
6.3 129 km N of Manatutu, Timor Leste 450.0 km
6.1 268 km NE of Lospalos, Timor Leste 179.0 km
6.0 214 km NE of Lospalos, Timor Leste 167.0 km
6.1 257 km N of Manatutu, Timor Leste 33.0 km
6.8 58 km N of Likisá, Timor Leste 25.0 km
6.0 125 km NE of Lospalos, Timor Leste 58.0 km
6.3 222 km ENE of Lospalos, Timor Leste 109.0 km
6.8 122 km N of Metinaro, Timor Leste 404.6 km
6.6 66 km NW of Pante Makasar, Timor Leste 87.5 km
7.2 187 km N of Baukau, Timor Leste 430.5 km
6.0 291 km NE of Lospalos, Timor Leste 150.6 km
6.2 226 km NW of Maubara, Timor Leste 584.2 km
7.0 166 km NNW of Maubara, Timor Leste 531.8 km
6.9 215 km NW of Maubara, Timor Leste 586.3 km
6.8 250 km NNE of Lospalos, Timor Leste 357.8 km
6.0 18 km NNW of Suai, Timor Leste 35.0 km
6.6 188 km NE of Lospalos, Timor Leste 220.0 km
7.1 186 km NE of Lospalos, Timor Leste 30.2 km
6.1 100 km ENE of Lospalos, Timor Leste 35.0 km
6.8 180 km N of Baukau, Timor Leste 450.8 km
6.5 173 km NE of Lospalos, Timor Leste 35.0 km
6.3 132 km NE of Lospalos, Timor Leste 35.0 km
6.8 92 km NNW of Pante Makasar, Timor Leste 25.0 km
6.8 89 km NW of Pante Makasar, Timor Leste 25.0 km
7.0 77 km N of Baukau, Timor Leste 25.0 km
6.7 49 km NW of Pante Makasar, Timor Leste 35.0 km
6.1 38 km N of Likisá, Timor Leste 25.0 km
6.2 261 km NE of Lospalos, Timor Leste 15.0 km
6.2 22 km NNW of Manatutu, Timor Leste 25.0 km
6.4 109 km N of Lospalos, Timor Leste 25.0 km
6.2 90 km N of Baukau, Timor Leste 10.0 km
6.9 84 km N of Metinaro, Timor Leste 10.0 km
6.6 99 km NNW of Pante Makasar, Timor Leste 35.0 km
6.7 284 km ENE of Lospalos, Timor Leste 15.0 km
6.8 11 km WSW of Ainaro, Timor Leste 35.0 km
7.2 58 km ENE of Lospalos, Timor Leste 35.0 km

Countries with similar seismic activity

Comparable catalogued earthquake frequency to Timor Leste.

Afghanistan

3,472 M4+ events · strongest M7.5

M7.5

Iran

3,544 M4+ events · strongest M7.7

M7.7

India

3,244 M4+ events · strongest M7.5

M7.5

Taiwan

2,529 M4+ events · strongest M7.4

M7.4

Argentina

4,371 M4+ events · strongest M7.0

M7.0

Fiji

4,493 M4+ events · strongest M7.9

M7.9

Understand the data

How earthquakes are measured

Magnitude scales, seismographs, and depth.

Reading earthquake data

Interpreting magnitude, depth and frequency.

Earthquake preparedness

Before, during and after a quake.

Frequently asked questions

How many earthquakes have occurred in Timor Leste? ▼
The USGS catalog records 3,408 earthquakes of magnitude 4.0 or greater in Timor Leste since 2005, an average of about 162 per year. Separately, 87 significant (M6+) earthquakes are catalogued back to 1900.
What was the strongest earthquake in Timor Leste? ▼
The strongest catalogued earthquake in Timor Leste measured magnitude 7.5. Across the full M4+ catalog the average magnitude is 4.4 - most earthquakes are moderate.
How seismically active is Timor Leste? ▼
By catalogued M4+ activity, Timor Leste ranks 21st of 215 countries worldwide - a highly seismically active country. Its busiest year for major (M6+) events was 2008, with 6.
How deep are earthquakes in Timor Leste? ▼
Across the 87 major (M6+) events on record, the average depth is 158 km. 47% were shallow (under 70 km), where surface shaking is strongest at a given magnitude.
Where does this data come from? ▼
Every figure is derived from the USGS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat). M4+ counts cover 2005 onward (the period of consistent global completeness); the significant-event series covers M6+ back to 1900. Nothing is modelled or estimated.

About this data

Every figure on this page is computed directly from the USGS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat), the public-domain record maintained by the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program. Two series are combined: a worldwide catalog of magnitude-4.0-and-above events from 2005 onward, the period over which the global seismograph network reliably detects and locates earthquakes everywhere, and a historical series of significant magnitude-6.0-and-above events stretching back to 1900. Magnitudes use the moment-magnitude scale (Mw), the modern standard that supersedes the older Richter scale; because the scale is logarithmic, each whole step represents roughly thirty-two times more energy released. Depth is measured in kilometres from the surface, and shallow earthquakes generally produce stronger shaking than deep ones of the same magnitude. Counts reflect what instruments recorded, not every tremor that occurred, and recent events can be revised as seismologists refine the catalog.

Source: USGS ComCat, verify with USGS → · See our methodology for the full pipeline.

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