The location and focal-mechanism of the earthquake are consistent with it having occurred on the thrust-interface between the Banda Sea micro-plate to the north and the Timor micro-plate to the south. The Banda Sea micro-plate moves south toward, and thrusts beneath, the Timor micro-plate with a velocity of about 30 mm/year. The two micro-plates are sandwiched along with other micro-plates between the larger Sunda, Philippine Sea, Australia, and Pacific plates.

In July 1991, a magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck 20 km to the west and killed 23 people and injured 181.