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M5.1 Depth: 33.7 km

M5.1 Earthquake near NEW BRITAIN REGION, P.N.G. (Papua New Guinea)

UTC time: 2026-01-04 01:23:35 UTC Local time: —

About this earthquake

On January 4, 2026 at 01:23 UTC, a magnitude M5.1 earthquake occurred near NEW BRITAIN REGION, P.N.G. (Papua New Guinea). The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 34 km, increasing how strongly it was felt. Earthquakes of this magnitude can damage poorly built structures.

The event was recorded by EMSC. Papua New Guinea: 3 earthquakes were recorded in the past 24 hours, the strongest reaching M5.0.

Details

Magnitude
M5.1
Depth
33.7 km
UTC time
2026-01-04 01:23:35 UTC
Local time
—
Country
Papua New Guinea
City
East New Britain
Source
emsc
Coordinates
-5.47870, 152.12280
Temperature
31.9°C

Map

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 33.7 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 33.7 km
Shallow
33.7 km
33.7 km — shallower than the regional average (84.9 km)
Regional average: 84.9 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
Kokopo127.3 kmN26'273
Port Moresby705.7 kmSW283'733

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Ulawun
    Distance: 100 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'334 m ·Last eruption: 2025 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Bamus
    Distance: 104 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'248 m ·Last eruption: 1886 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Hargy
    Distance: 114 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'148 m ·Last eruption: 950 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Lolobau
    Distance: 123 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 878 m ·Last eruption: 1912 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Sulu Range
    Distance: 131 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 610 m ·Papua New Guinea
  • Rabaul
    Distance: 137 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 688 m ·Last eruption: 2014 ·Papua New Guinea

Subsequent earthquakes nearby

Events recorded after this earthquake within 150 km. They are not automatically classified as aftershocks.

First 6 hours0
First 24 hours0
First 72 hours0
Strongest subsequent eventM5.0
M4.52026-01-11 02:54:45 UTC49.0 kmPomio District M4.72026-01-14 08:05:56 UTC143.1 kmNEW IRELAND REGION, P.N.G. M4.72026-01-14 08:05:57 UTC138.4 km193 km SE of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea M5.02026-01-14 08:05:57 UTC149.8 kmNew Ireland Region, Papua New Guinea M5.02026-01-14 08:05:57 UTC148.7 kmNew Ireland region M4.82026-01-28 22:32:38 UTC80.2 kmTalasea District M4.42026-01-29 21:42:40 UTC82.6 kmMansipana

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#29
Earlier events M≥4222
Earlier events M≥576
Compared since2025-01-01

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

Strongest earlier events

M6.92025-04-04 20:04:38 UTC110.2 km181 km ESE of Kimbe, Papua New Guinea M6.52025-04-04 20:04:39 UTC90.0 km194 km ESE of Kimbe, Papua New Guinea M6.22025-04-12 03:47:13 UTC149.7 km M6.12025-04-12 03:47:09 UTC144.0 km105 km ESE of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea M5.72025-12-21 05:25:23 UTC57.1 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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