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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.

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 (80.3 km)
Regional average: 80.3 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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