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Papua New Guinea · Madang

M5.1 Earthquake near Saidor District, Madang (Papua New Guinea)

UTC time: 2026-08-16 10:59:10 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.

Map

M5.1 Earthquake near Saidor District, Madang (Papua New Guinea) · 2026-08-16 — Map showing the location of the epicenter
M5.1 Earthquake near Saidor District, Madang (Papua New Guinea) · 2026-08-16 — Map showing the location of the epicenter

About this earthquake

On August 16, 2026 at 10:59 UTC, a magnitude M5.1 earthquake occurred near Saidor District, Madang (Papua New Guinea). The earthquake originated at an intermediate depth of about 139 km. Events of this size can cause damage near the epicenter.

The event was recorded by USGS.

Details

ID
268ff93d5d1422e9780df740c95c4dc8d163e883
Magnitude
M5.1
Depth
138.7 km
UTC time
2026-08-16 10:59:10 UTC
Local time
—
Country
Papua New Guinea
State
Madang
City
Saidor District
County
Saidor District
Source
usgs
Coordinates
-5.54810, 146.74760
Temperature
25.5°C

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 138.7 km (Intermediate) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 138.7 km
Intermediate
138.7 km
138.7 km — deeper than the regional average (80.5 km)
Regional average: 80.5 km
Why depth matters

Intermediate-depth quakes are felt across a wider area but usually cause less surface damage.

Depth classes per USGS

Tectonic context

Located on the South Bismarck Plate.
Near the boundary South Bismarck ↔ Woodlark · about 101 km away

Nearby population centers

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

PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation
Madang112.4 kmW27'419
Port Moresby439.2 kmS283'733

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Long Island
    Distance: 47 km ·Complex ·Elevation: 1'263 m ·Last eruption: 1993 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Hankow Reef
    Distance: 74 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: -5 m ·Papua New Guinea
  • Umboi
    Distance: 127 km ·Complex ·Elevation: 1'335 m ·Papua New Guinea
  • Karkar
    Distance: 132 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'839 m ·Last eruption: 1979 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Sakar
    Distance: 149 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 947 m ·Papua New Guinea
  • Ritter Island
    Distance: 151 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 75 m ·Last eruption: 2007 ·Papua New Guinea

Comparison of seismic sources

4 sources currently report magnitudes from M5.1 to M5.8.

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

SourceMagnitudeDepthPosition difference
EMSCM5.8103.0 km3.2 km
GFZM5.8124.0 km3.1 km
INGVM5.6124.2 km7.1 km
USGSM5.1138.7 km0.0 km

Madang

Context for this earthquake

05 Oct 2025 – 05 Oct 2026 · M ≥ 3.0 · 44 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#45
Earlier events M≥4159
Earlier events M≥561
Compared since2025-01-06

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

Strongest earlier events

M6.72025-10-07 11:05:19 UTC126.8 kmEASTERN NEW GUINEA REG., P.N.G. M6.72025-10-07 11:05:17 UTC132.4 kmGabensis M6.72025-10-07 11:05:17 UTC128.2 kmEastern New Guinea region M6.72025-10-07 11:05:15 UTC122.9 kmPapua New Guinea [Land] M6.62025-10-07 11:05:18 UTC137.4 km26 km WSW of Lae, 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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