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M5.5 Depth: 172.0 km

M5.5 Earthquake near Papua New Guinea Region (Papua New Guinea)

UTC time: 2026-01-05 00:42:04 UTC Local time: —
M5.5 earthquake near Morobe on Jan 5, 2026 — map of epicenter and shaking intensity | QuakeMap24
M5.5 Earthquake near Papua New Guinea Region (Papua New Guinea) · 2026-01-05 00:42:04 UTC

About this earthquake

A magnitude M5.5 earthquake was recorded near Papua New Guinea Region (Papua New Guinea) on January 5, 2026 at 00:42 UTC. The earthquake originated at an intermediate depth of about 172 km. Earthquakes of this magnitude can damage poorly built structures.

The event was recorded by GFZ. Papua New Guinea: 2 earthquakes were recorded in the past 24 hours, the strongest reaching M5.0.

Details

Magnitude
M5.5
Depth
172.0 km
UTC time
2026-01-05 00:42:04 UTC
Local time
—
Country
Papua New Guinea
City
Morobe
Source
gfz
Coordinates
-5.62000, 147.63000
Temperature
28.9°C

Map

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 172 km (Intermediate) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 172 km
Intermediate
172 km
172 km — deeper than 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
Lae141.3 kmSW76'255
Port Moresby432.1 kmS283'733

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Umboi
    Distance: 29 km ·Complex ·Elevation: 1'335 m ·Papua New Guinea
  • Ritter Island
    Distance: 55 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 75 m ·Last eruption: 2007 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Sakar
    Distance: 55 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 947 m ·Papua New Guinea
  • Long Island
    Distance: 67 km ·Complex ·Elevation: 1'263 m ·Last eruption: 1993 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Langila
    Distance: 88 km ·Complex ·Elevation: 1'330 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Hankow Reef
    Distance: 130 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: -5 m ·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 hours0
First 72 hours0
Strongest subsequent eventM5.2
M4.82026-01-13 06:33:34 UTC29.6 kmMorobe M4.52026-01-13 06:33:36 UTC8.3 kmMorobe M4.52026-01-13 06:33:36 UTC13.2 kmMorobe M5.12026-01-14 15:29:02 UTC56.5 kmMadang M4.92026-01-14 15:29:03 UTC63.4 kmMadang M5.12026-01-14 15:29:03 UTC61.3 kmMadang M4.22026-01-14 20:30:23 UTC39.4 kmMadang M4.42026-01-14 20:30:23 UTC54.1 kmMadang M4.92026-01-29 07:54:49 UTC110.2 kmBuang-Kowoneng M4.82026-01-29 07:54:50 UTC110.0 kmFinschhafen District M5.22026-02-03 19:21:36 UTC66.6 kmZakupep M5.22026-02-03 19:21:37 UTC64.2 kmTawae-Siassi District

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#8
Earlier events M≥490
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

M6.72025-10-07 11:05:15 UTC140.3 kmPapua New Guinea [Land] M6.22025-10-07 11:05:05 UTC129.9 kmEastern New Guinea Reg., P.N.G. M5.92025-07-21 16:41:11 UTC116.2 kmPapua New Guinea Region M5.82025-07-21 16:41:11 UTC116.5 kmEASTERN NEW GUINEA REG., P.N.G. M5.82025-07-21 16:41:08 UTC118.1 km91 km ENE of Kainantu, 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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