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M5.1 Depth: 10.0 km

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

UTC time: 2026-03-05 16:26:58 UTC Local time: —
M5.1 earthquake near East New Britain on Mar 5, 2026 — map of epicenter and shaking intensity | QuakeMap24
M5.1 Earthquake near East New Britain (Papua New Guinea) · 2026-03-05 16:26:58 UTC

About this earthquake

A magnitude M5.1 earthquake was recorded near East New Britain (Papua New Guinea) on March 5, 2026 at 16:26 UTC. The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 10 km, increasing how strongly it was felt. Earthquakes of this magnitude can damage poorly built structures.

The event was recorded by GFZ.

Map

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

Nearby population centers

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

PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation
Kimbe131.7 kmNW18'847
Port Moresby577.7 kmSW283'733

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Sulu Range
    Distance: 76 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 610 m ·Papua New Guinea
  • Hargy
    Distance: 90 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'148 m ·Last eruption: 950 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Witori
    Distance: 96 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 724 m ·Last eruption: 2012 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Lolo
    Distance: 105 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 796 m ·Papua New Guinea
  • Bamus
    Distance: 105 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'248 m ·Last eruption: 1886 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Ulawun
    Distance: 122 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'334 m ·Last eruption: 2025 ·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 eventM5.0
M5.02026-03-25 10:59:34 UTC106.1 kmNew Britain region

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#28
Earlier events M≥4223
Earlier events M≥566
Compared since2025-01-01

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

Strongest earlier events

M6.92025-04-04 20:04:38 UTC50.7 km181 km ESE of Kimbe, Papua New Guinea M6.52025-04-04 20:04:39 UTC66.1 km194 km ESE of Kimbe, Papua New Guinea M5.82025-06-23 03:17:13 UTC63.0 kmNew Britain Region, Papua New Guinea M5.72025-12-21 05:25:23 UTC71.7 kmNew Britain Region, Papua New Guinea M5.52025-12-21 23:07:27 UTC100.1 kmNEW BRITAIN REGION, P.N.G.

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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