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M5.1 Depth: 94.5 km

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

UTC time: 2026-04-17 21:46:30 UTC Local time: —
M5.1 earthquake near West New Britain on Apr 17, 2026 — map of epicenter and shaking intensity | QuakeMap24
M5.1 Earthquake near West New Britain (Papua New Guinea) · 2026-04-17 21:46:30 UTC

About this earthquake

A magnitude M5.1 earthquake was recorded near West New Britain (Papua New Guinea) on April 17, 2026 at 21:46 UTC. At around 95 km, the focal depth places this among intermediate-depth events. Events of this size can cause damage near the epicenter.

The event was recorded by EMSC. Papua New Guinea: over the past 24 hours, QuakeMap24 logged 2 earthquakes, the strongest at M5.0.

Map

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 94.5 km (Intermediate) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 94.5 km
Intermediate
94.5 km
94.5 km — close to the regional average (83.7 km)
Regional average: 83.7 km
Why depth matters

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

Depth classes per USGS

Nearby population centers

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

PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation
Kimbe185.4 kmE18'847
Port Moresby419.1 kmS283'733

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Langila
    Distance: 49 km ·Complex ·Elevation: 1'330 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Ritter Island
    Distance: 66 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 75 m ·Last eruption: 2007 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Sakar
    Distance: 77 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 947 m ·Papua New Guinea
  • Umboi
    Distance: 80 km ·Complex ·Elevation: 1'335 m ·Papua New Guinea
  • Long Island
    Distance: 171 km ·Complex ·Elevation: 1'263 m ·Last eruption: 1993 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Krummel-Garbuna-Welcker
    Distance: 178 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 564 m ·Last eruption: 2008 ·Papua New Guinea

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#18
Earlier events M≥489
Earlier events M≥533
Compared since2025-01-12

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

Strongest earlier events

M5.72026-01-05 00:41:48 UTC128.4 kmEvent of magnitude 5.7, near of Lae (Monde) M5.72025-06-19 16:37:40 UTC86.2 kmPapua New Guinea Region M5.52026-01-05 00:42:04 UTC104.6 kmPapua New Guinea Region M5.52025-06-19 16:37:42 UTC78.6 kmEASTERN NEW GUINEA REG., P.N.G. M5.52025-04-13 03:48:23 UTC148.1 km46 km E 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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