M5.0 Depth: 10.0 km

M5.0 Earthquake near New Guinea, Papua New Guinea (Papua New Guinea)

UTC time: 2026-01-03 01:26:40 UTC Local time:
M5.0 earthquake near Southern Highlands on Jan 3, 2026 — map of epicenter and shaking intensity | QuakeMap24
M5.0 Earthquake near New Guinea, Papua New Guinea (Papua New Guinea) · 2026-01-03 01:26:40 UTC

About this earthquake

A magnitude M5.0 earthquake was recorded near New Guinea, Papua New Guinea (Papua New Guinea) on January 3, 2026 at 01:26 UTC. With a focal depth of about 10 km, this was a shallow earthquake, whose shaking is usually felt more strongly at the surface. Earthquakes of this magnitude can damage poorly built structures.

The event was recorded by GFZ. Papua New Guinea: 2 earthquakes were recorded in the past 24 hours, the strongest reaching M5.0.

Details

Magnitude
M5.0
Depth
10.0 km
UTC time
2026-01-03 01:26:40 UTC
Local time
Source
gfz
Coordinates
-6.41000, 143.69000
Temperature
27.6°C

Map

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 10 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 10 km
Shallow
10 km
10 km — shallower than the regional average (83.7 km)
Regional average: 83.7 km
Why depth matters

Shallow quakes release energy near the surface — shaking is felt more strongly and damage potential is higher.

Depth classes per USGS

Nearby population centers

Distances are straight-line distances from the epicenter. Population data: GeoNames.

PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation
Mendi29.4 kmN26'252
Merauke430.2 kmSW116'864

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Manam
    Distance: 299 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'807 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Karkar
    Distance: 320 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'839 m ·Last eruption: 1979 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Kadovar
    Distance: 327 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 365 m ·Last eruption: 2023 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Bam
    Distance: 335 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 685 m ·Last eruption: 1960 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Blup Blup
    Distance: 338 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 402 m ·Papua New Guinea
  • Hankow Reef
    Distance: 376 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: -5 m ·Papua New Guinea

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#1
Earlier events M≥47
Earlier events M≥50
Compared since2025-01-26

The QuakeMap24 comparison dataset begins on 2024-03-23. Earlier earthquakes may not be included.

Strongest earlier events

Historic earthquake map · Papua New Guinea

Explore recent and long-term earthquake activity in this country. Use filters to narrow down by magnitude, depth, and date range.

Country statistics · Papua New Guinea

View earthquake KPIs, strongest and latest events, and averages for this country.

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