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M5.4 Depth: 10.0 km

M5.4 Earthquake near New Britain Region, Papua New Guinea (Papua New Guinea)

UTC time: 2025-12-21 23:07:28 UTC Local time: —

About this earthquake

On December 21, 2025 at 23:07 UTC, a magnitude M5.4 earthquake occurred near New Britain Region, Papua New Guinea (Papua New Guinea). 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: 3 earthquakes were recorded in the past 24 hours, the strongest reaching M5.0.

Details

Magnitude
M5.4
Depth
10.0 km
UTC time
2025-12-21 23:07:28 UTC
Local time
—
Country
Papua New Guinea
City
East New Britain
Source
gfz
Coordinates
-5.56000, 151.75000
Temperature
32.8°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 (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
Kokopo147.0 kmNE26'273
Port Moresby668.3 kmSW283'733

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Bamus
    Distance: 70 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'248 m ·Last eruption: 1886 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Ulawun
    Distance: 73 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'334 m ·Last eruption: 2025 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Hargy
    Distance: 76 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'148 m ·Last eruption: 950 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Sulu Range
    Distance: 90 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 610 m ·Papua New Guinea
  • Lolobau
    Distance: 97 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 878 m ·Last eruption: 1912 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Witori
    Distance: 137 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 724 m ·Last eruption: 2012 ·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 hours1
First 72 hours1
Strongest subsequent eventM5.1
M4.92025-12-22 14:00:23 UTC72.3 kmNew Britain Region, Papua New Guinea M5.12025-12-29 11:40:02 UTC82.4 km115 km S of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea M5.12025-12-29 11:40:02 UTC98.9 kmEvent of magnitude 5.1, near of Port Moresby (Monde) M5.02025-12-29 11:40:09 UTC63.4 kmNew Britain Region, Papua New Guinea M5.12025-12-29 11:40:09 UTC63.2 kmNEW BRITAIN REGION, P.N.G. M4.82026-01-03 22:25:36 UTC89.9 kmNew Britain Region, Papua New Guinea M5.02026-01-03 22:25:37 UTC105.0 km214 km S of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea M4.82026-01-04 01:23:33 UTC44.7 kmNew Britain Region, Papua New Guinea M5.12026-01-04 01:23:35 UTC42.2 kmNEW BRITAIN REGION, P.N.G. M4.52026-01-11 02:54:45 UTC15.5 kmPomio District

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#7
Earlier events M≥4209
Earlier events M≥565
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 UTC86.0 km181 km ESE of Kimbe, Papua New Guinea M6.52025-04-04 20:04:39 UTC71.7 km194 km ESE of Kimbe, Papua New Guinea M5.82025-06-23 03:17:13 UTC131.7 kmNew Britain Region, Papua New Guinea M5.72025-12-21 05:25:23 UTC27.5 kmNew Britain Region, Papua New Guinea M5.52025-04-12 03:47:24 UTC126.4 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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