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M5.1 Earthquake near 129 km SSE of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea

UTC time: 2026-10-18 22:31:43 UTC Local time: —
Magnitude
M5.1
Depth
10.0 km
Source
USGS

129 km SSE of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea

Map

M5.1 Earthquake near 129 km SSE of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea · 2026-10-18 — Map showing the location of the epicenter
M5.1 Earthquake near 129 km SSE of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea · 2026-10-18 — Map showing the location of the epicenter

About this earthquake

A magnitude M5.1 earthquake was recorded near 129 km SSE of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea on October 18, 2026 at 22:31 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 data is provided by USGS and cross-checked across seismological networks.

Details

ID
33f2738b7ba0207d6b47809ba72ac7d08f5a2a50
Magnitude
M5.1
Depth
10.0 km
UTC time
2026-10-18 22:31:43 UTC
Local time
—
Country
—
Source
usgs
Coordinates
-5.43730, 152.67480
Temperature
27.1°C

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
Why depth matters

Shallow quakes release energy near the surface — shaking is felt more strongly and damage potential is higher.

Depth classes per USGS

Tectonic context

Located on the South Bismarck Plate.
Near the boundary South Bismarck ↔ Solomon Sea · about 23 km away

Nearby population centers

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

PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation
Kokopo117.8 kmN26'273
Port Moresby757.8 kmSW283'733

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Rabaul
    Distance: 143 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 688 m ·Last eruption: 2014 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Ulawun
    Distance: 155 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'334 m ·Last eruption: 2025 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Tavui
    Distance: 156 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 200 m ·Last eruption: -4946 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Bamus
    Distance: 162 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'248 m ·Last eruption: 1886 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Hargy
    Distance: 175 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'148 m ·Last eruption: 950 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Lolobau
    Distance: 177 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 878 m ·Last eruption: 1912 ·Papua New Guinea

Comparison of seismic sources

4 sources currently report magnitudes from M5.0 to M5.1.

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

SourceMagnitudeDepthPosition difference
GFZM5.110.0 km19.0 km
USGSM5.110.0 km0.0 km
RESIFM5.010.0 km30.5 km
EMSCM5.144.0 km12.1 km

No unambiguous area assignment

Context for this earthquake

This event has no unambiguous country assignment in the analysed catalogue. It is therefore not assigned to a regional profile.

Earthquake overview

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#61
Earlier events M≥4251
Earlier events M≥5110
Compared since2025-01-01

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

Strongest earlier events

M6.52025-04-04 20:04:39 UTC134.4 km194 km ESE of Kimbe, Papua New Guinea M6.22026-10-13 18:45:07 UTC46.5 kmEast New Britain M6.22025-04-12 03:47:13 UTC98.0 km M6.12025-09-16 16:59:52 UTC132.4 kmPapua New Guinea [Sea] M6.12025-04-12 03:47:09 UTC94.0 km105 km ESE of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea

Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)
584
Country (24h)
—
—
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