Indonesia: 6.6-magnitude earthquake hits Banda Sea, no tsunami threat

Representational Image

A 6.6-magnitude earthquake struck the Banda Sea near Indonesia’s Maluku Islands on Tuesday, according to the German Research Center for Geosciences (GFZ). The quake occurred at a depth of 137 km. Indonesia’s Geophysics Agency (BMKG) confirmed that there was no tsunami threat following the tremor.

The quake follows a 6.7-magnitude earthquake that struck Indonesia's Papua province less than two weeks ago.

Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) confirmed the earthquake and said it did not pose any tsunami threat.

Located along the seismically active Pacific “Ring of Fire,” Indonesia frequently experiences earthquakes due to its complex tectonic setting.

The Banda Sea lies in an area of intricate plate convergence involving the Australian and Sunda plates. This interaction has fragmented the Earth’s crust into several smaller plates and microplates, including the Banda Sea, Timor, Molucca Sea, and Bird’s Head plates.

Forming a distinctive arc, this convergent zone is among the most geologically complex in the world. Here, the oceanic lithosphere descends to depths of over 600 km beneath the Banda Sea, making the region one of the most earthquake-prone areas on the planet.

(With agency inputs)