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Papua New Guinea · West New Britain

M5.1 Earthquake near West New Britain (Papua New Guinea)

UTC time: 2026-08-17 11:00:23 UTC Local time: —
Earthquake newsQuakeMap24
Archive record · original publication time was not recorded

Automatically generated from measurement data by QuakeMap24. Values may change after further analysis.

Magnitude
M5.1
Depth
35.0 km
Source
USGS

West New Britain · West New Britain

Country overview

Map

M5.1 Earthquake near West New Britain (Papua New Guinea) · 2026-08-17 — Map showing the location of the epicenter
M5.1 Earthquake near West New Britain (Papua New Guinea) · 2026-08-17 — Map showing the location of the epicenter

About this earthquake

A magnitude M5.1 earthquake was recorded near West New Britain (Papua New Guinea) on August 17, 2026 at 11:00 UTC. With a focal depth of about 35 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 data is provided by USGS and cross-checked across seismological networks.

Details

ID
0f8bd8c335d8af0e891c3bc38df69331a26c995b
Magnitude
M5.1
Depth
35.0 km
UTC time
2026-08-17 11:00:23 UTC
Local time
—
Country
Papua New Guinea
State
West New Britain
City
West New Britain
Source
usgs
Coordinates
-6.37690, 149.35770
Temperature
25.9°C

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 35 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 35 km
Shallow
35 km
35 km — shallower than the regional average (80.5 km)
Regional average: 80.5 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

Tectonic context

Located on the South Bismarck Plate.
Near the boundary South Bismarck ↔ Solomon Sea · about 71 km away

Nearby population centers

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

PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation
Kimbe126.0 kmNE18'847
Port Moresby421.8 kmSW283'733

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Krummel-Garbuna-Welcker
    Distance: 130 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 564 m ·Last eruption: 2008 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Langila Activity reported
    Distance: 140 km ·Complex ·Elevation: 1'330 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Garua Harbour
    Distance: 143 km ·Volcanic field ·Elevation: 565 m ·Papua New Guinea
  • Witori
    Distance: 156 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 724 m ·Last eruption: 2012 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Bola
    Distance: 157 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'116 m ·Papua New Guinea
  • Lolo
    Distance: 163 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 796 m ·Papua New Guinea

Comparison of seismic sources

4 sources currently report magnitudes from M5.1 to M5.2.

Measurements can differ because agencies use different networks and calculation methods. Values may be revised.

SourceMagnitudeDepthPosition difference
EMSCM5.135.0 km10.6 km
GFZM5.210.0 km33.8 km
ISCM5.135.0 km0.0 km
USGSM5.135.0 km0.0 km

West New Britain

Context for this earthquake

05 Oct 2025 – 05 Oct 2026 · M ≥ 3.0 · 32 Catalogue entries

Sufficiently reliable matching data are not currently available for a direct comparison. The area profile shows the available records and their limitations.

Open seismic profile

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#9
Earlier events M≥471
Earlier events M≥526
Compared since2025-01-08

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

Strongest earlier events

M5.82025-06-23 03:17:13 UTC148.1 kmNew Britain Region, Papua New Guinea M5.32026-04-17 21:46:19 UTC130.7 kmNew Britain Region, Papua New Guinea M5.32026-02-04 04:25:54 UTC120.3 kmGaru Plantation M5.32025-11-26 00:07:25 UTC66.0 kmNEW BRITAIN REGION, P.N.G. M5.32025-10-23 04:06:55 UTC103.4 kmNew Britain Region, Papua New Guinea

Historic earthquake map · Papua New Guinea

Open history map
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

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

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