Location:

Period:

2 Apr 2026 00:36:03 - 7 Apr 2026 06:03:51 (5 days 5 hours 27 minutes)

Volcanoes in 100km radius:

None

Earthquakes:

150

16 swarms found nearby.

2001

PS20010225.1(16.0km)

24 Feb

16 hours

5 earthquakes

PS20010226.1(10.3km)

26 Feb

12 hours

5 earthquakes

PS20010827.1(42.2km)

26 Aug

1 day 19 hours

9 earthquakes

2007

PS20070121.1(39.9km)

21 Jan

3 days 13 hours

42 earthquakes

PS20070127.1(26.1km)

26 Jan

1 day 17 hours

7 earthquakes

2014

PS20141115.1(49.5km)

15 Nov

8 hours

8 earthquakes

PS20141126.1(51.4km)

25 Nov

1 day 0 hours

8 earthquakes

PS20141221.1(81.3km)

21 Dec

2 hours

5 earthquakes

2019

PS20190708.1(82.5km)

8 Jul

21 hours

5 earthquakes

PS20191114.1(21.8km)

14 Nov

1 day 7 hours

29 earthquakes

2026

PS20260402.1(20.6km)

1 Apr

2 days 2 hours

23 earthquakes

S20260402.1(26.4km)

1 Apr

12 days 18 hours

397 earthquakes

S20260402.4(27.7km)

1 Apr

11 days 20 hours

228 earthquakes

S20260402.3(10.4km)

2 Apr

5 days 1 hours

114 earthquakes

S20260403.1(23.8km)

2 Apr

2 days 8 hours

57 earthquakes

S20260404.1(23.0km)

3 Apr

1 day 10 hours

43 earthquakes

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Seismic Swarm S20260402.2 in the Molucca Sea: Characteristics and Regional Context

The Molucca Sea, located in eastern Indonesia between the islands of Sulawesi and Halmahera, forms part of the tectonically active Pacific Ring of Fire. This region experiences intense seismicity due to the complex interactions among the Philippine Sea Plate, the Sunda Plate, and smaller microplates. Subduction along the Halmahera and Sangihe arcs, combined with strike-slip faulting, produces frequent earthquakes at varying depths. Historical records indicate that the area has hosted multiple seismic swarms since 2000, with 14 documented events totaling varying earthquake counts per swarm.

Seismic swarm S20260402.2 began at 00:36 on 2 April 2026 and concluded at 06:03 on 7 April 2026, spanning 125 hours and 27 minutes. During this period, 150 earthquakes were recorded. Analysis of the first 100 events reveals a predominance of shallow to intermediate depths, with most occurring between 4 km and 77 km. Magnitudes ranged from 2.5 to 5.4, with several events exceeding 4.0. Notable peaks included a 5.1 magnitude quake at 35 km depth on 2 April at 16:10:26 and a 5.4 magnitude event at 35 km depth on 3 April at 03:37:16. Depths clustered around 35 km for many stronger shocks, consistent with the region's subduction-related seismicity, while shallower events (under 20 km) often accompanied lower magnitudes.

The temporal distribution showed elevated activity in the initial 24 hours, with multiple events above magnitude 4.0, followed by a gradual decline. This pattern aligns with swarm behavior rather than a single mainshock-aftershock sequence. Historical swarms in the Molucca Sea occurred in 2001 (3 events), 2007 (2), 2014 (3), 2019 (2), and 2026 (4), underscoring the area's recurrent clustered seismicity without clear long-term trends in frequency.

Such swarms contribute to ongoing monitoring efforts in this high-risk zone, where tectonic forces continue to reshape the seafloor and influence volcanic activity on nearby islands. No significant surface impacts were associated with this swarm based on available data.

References

SeismoSight internal swarm classification records (S20260402.2 dataset).
Regional tectonic summaries from established geological surveys of the Molucca Sea collision zone.