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Papua New Guinea · Autonomous Region of Bougainville

M5.9 Earthquake near Autonomous Region of Bougainville (Papua New Guinea)

UTC time: 2026-09-05 14:12:01 UTC Local time: —
Magnitude
M5.9
Depth
10.0 km
Source
GFZ

Autonomous Region of Bougainville · Autonomous Region of Bougainville

Country overview

Map

M5.9 earthquake near Autonomous Region of Bougainville on Sep 5, 2026 — map of epicenter and shaking intensity | QuakeMap24
M5.9 Earthquake near Autonomous Region of Bougainville (Papua New Guinea) · 2026-09-05 14:12:01 UTC

About this earthquake

On September 5, 2026 at 14:12 UTC, a magnitude M5.9 earthquake occurred near Autonomous Region of Bougainville (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: over the past 24 hours, QuakeMap24 logged 2 earthquakes, the strongest at M6.0.

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 (81.9 km)
Regional average: 81.9 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

Estimated impact

Green No or minimal impact expected.
Estimated population exposed
IV 23'763
1 Felt reports · max reported intensity 3.1

Ground shaking

IV
Light · Intensity (MMI) IV
Felt by many, no damage.

Tectonic context

Located on the North Bismarck Plate.
Near the boundary Pacific ↔ North Bismarck · about 81 km away

Nearby population centers

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

PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation
Kokopo216.5 kmW26'273
Port Moresby933.3 kmSW283'733

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Balbi
    Distance: 155 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'715 m ·Papua New Guinea
  • Billy Mitchell
    Distance: 186 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 1'544 m ·Last eruption: 1580 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Bagana
    Distance: 188 km ·Lava cone ·Elevation: 1'855 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Rabaul
    Distance: 227 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 688 m ·Last eruption: 2014 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Tavui
    Distance: 230 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 200 m ·Last eruption: -4946 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Takuan Group
    Distance: 243 km ·Compound ·Elevation: 2'210 m ·Papua New Guinea

Radius · 100 km

Nearby infrastructure

Up to 3 nearest sites per category

Airports

  • Buka AirportPapua New Guinea · BUA · AYBK
    89.7 kmStraight-line distance

Source: OurAirports · Dataset date: 2026-09-06

This selection shows geographic proximity, not a hazard zone or confirmed impacts. Distances use recorded site coordinates. Sources & data dates

Subsequent earthquakes nearby

Events recorded after this earthquake within 150 km. They are not automatically classified as aftershocks.

First 6 hours1
First 24 hours1
First 72 hours1
Strongest subsequent eventM6.0
M6.02026-09-05 14:12:07 UTC70.4 kmNew Ireland

Papua New Guinea

Context for this earthquake

06 Sep 2025 – 06 Sep 2026 · M ≥ 3.0 · 301 Catalogue entries

Of 300 other entries for this area and period, 14 have a higher stored magnitude. Different magnitude types and reports not yet merged limit the comparison.

Open seismic profile

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#7
Earlier events M≥4110
Earlier events M≥552
Compared since2025-01-12

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

Strongest earlier events

M6.22025-04-12 03:47:13 UTC104.0 km M6.12025-09-16 16:59:52 UTC82.1 kmPapua New Guinea [Sea] M6.12025-04-12 03:47:09 UTC113.1 km105 km ESE of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea M6.02025-09-16 16:59:51 UTC88.6 kmNEW IRELAND REGION, P.N.G. M6.02025-09-16 16:59:46 UTC82.6 kmNew Ireland Region, 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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