Photo: USGS
A 7.4-magnitude earthquake was reported in Indonesia on Wednesday (April 1), according to the United States Geological Survey.
The earthquake was reported 127 kilometers (about 79 miles) east-southeast of Ternate and centered at a depth of 35 kilometers (about 22 miles) at 10:48 p.m. UTC. The USGS said it received eight reports of people having felt the earthquake at the time of publication on Wednesday.
The U.S. Tsunami Warning System confirmed that a tsunami threat was in affect along the Molucca Sea following the earthquake. A 5.5-magnitude aftershock was reported in Ternate shortly after the 7.4-magnitude earthquake was reported.
The 7.4-magnitude earthquake is the largest reported in Indonesia the last 365 days measuring at 1.5 magnitude or greater and among five in the last 24 hours; 18 in the last seven days; 52 in the last 30 days; and 717 in the last 365 days, according to EarthquakeTrack.com. Ternate has had three earthquakes in the past 24 hours; five in the past seven days; seven in the past 30 days; and 120 in the past 365 days, according to EarthquakeTrack.com.
Earthquakes measured between 2.5 and 5.4 magnitude can be felt by a large population, however, rarely results in much damage, according to Michigan Tech via the Sacramento Bee. An estimated 500,000 detectable earthquakes are reported worldwide annually, however, around 100,000 are felt and only 100 typically result in serious damage.
Officials strongly advise that anyone caught in an earthquake should drop, cover and hold on, according to the Sacramento Bee.