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Papua New Guinea · East New Britain

M5.5 Earthquake near Pomio District, East New Britain (Papua New Guinea)

UTC time: 2026-02-28 06:23:23 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
M5.5
Depth
10.0 km
Source
RESIF

East New Britain · Pomio District

Country overview

Map

M5.5 Earthquake near Pomio District, East New Britain (Papua New Guinea) · 2026-02-28 — Map showing the location of the epicenter
M5.5 Earthquake near Pomio District, East New Britain (Papua New Guinea) · 2026-02-28 — Map showing the location of the epicenter

About this earthquake

A magnitude M5.5 earthquake was recorded near Pomio District, East New Britain (Papua New Guinea) on February 28, 2026 at 06:23 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 RESIF.

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 (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

Nearby population centers

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

PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation
Kokopo129.1 kmNE26'273
Port Moresby681.7 kmSW283'733

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Ulawun
    Distance: 60 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'334 m ·Last eruption: 2025 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Bamus
    Distance: 62 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'248 m ·Last eruption: 1886 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Hargy
    Distance: 73 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'148 m ·Last eruption: 950 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Lolobau
    Distance: 84 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 878 m ·Last eruption: 1912 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Sulu Range
    Distance: 91 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 610 m ·Papua New Guinea
  • Rabaul
    Distance: 136 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 688 m ·Last eruption: 2014 ·Papua New Guinea

Comparison of seismic sources

2 sources currently report magnitudes from M5.3 to M5.5.

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

SourceMagnitudeDepthPosition difference
RESIFM5.510.0 km0.0 km
USPM5.320.0 km15.2 km

East New Britain

Context for this earthquake

05 Oct 2025 – 05 Oct 2026 · M ≥ 3.0 · 33 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#7
Earlier events M≥4228
Earlier events M≥574
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 UTC105.1 km181 km ESE of Kimbe, Papua New Guinea M6.52025-04-04 20:04:39 UTC91.0 km194 km ESE of Kimbe, Papua New Guinea M5.82025-06-23 03:17:13 UTC140.1 kmNew Britain Region, Papua New Guinea M5.72025-12-21 05:25:23 UTC46.8 kmNew Britain Region, Papua New Guinea M5.52025-04-12 03:47:24 UTC116.1 kmNew Ireland

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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