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M5.3 Depth: 63.0 km

M5.3 Earthquake near NEW IRELAND REGION, P.N.G. (Papua New Guinea)

UTC time: 2025-09-04 09:38:41 UTC Local time: —

About this earthquake

On September 4, 2025 at 09:38 UTC, a magnitude M5.3 earthquake occurred near NEW IRELAND REGION, P.N.G. (Papua New Guinea). With a focal depth of about 63 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 EMSC. Papua New Guinea: 4 earthquakes were recorded in the past 24 hours, the strongest reaching M5.0.

Details

Magnitude
M5.3
Depth
63.0 km
UTC time
2025-09-04 09:38:41 UTC
Local time
—
Country
Papua New Guinea
City
New Ireland
Source
emsc
Coordinates
-4.90810, 153.39450
Temperature
27.8°C

Map

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 63 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 63 km
Shallow
63 km
63 km — shallower than the regional average (85 km)
Regional average: 85 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
Kokopo139.7 kmNW26'273
Port Moresby855.7 kmSW283'733

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Rabaul
    Distance: 152 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 688 m ·Last eruption: 2014 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Tavui
    Distance: 158 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 200 m ·Last eruption: -4946 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Balbi
    Distance: 210 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'715 m ·Papua New Guinea
  • Ulawun
    Distance: 229 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'334 m ·Last eruption: 2025 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Billy Mitchell
    Distance: 242 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 1'544 m ·Last eruption: 1580 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Bagana
    Distance: 242 km ·Lava cone ·Elevation: 1'855 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·Papua New Guinea

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 eventM6.1
M5.12025-09-04 09:38:48 UTC46.6 kmEvent of magnitude 5.1, near of Port Moresby (Monde) M5.72025-09-16 16:59:44 UTC73.7 kmNew Ireland Region, Papua New Guinea M6.02025-09-16 16:59:46 UTC68.9 kmNew Ireland Region, Papua New Guinea M6.02025-09-16 16:59:46 UTC57.7 kmEvent of magnitude 6.0, near of Port Moresby (Monde) M6.02025-09-16 16:59:51 UTC73.9 kmNEW IRELAND REGION, P.N.G. M6.12025-09-16 16:59:52 UTC74.4 kmPapua New Guinea [Sea]

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#7
Earlier events M≥444
Earlier events M≥515
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 UTC27.9 km M6.12025-04-12 03:47:09 UTC35.9 km105 km ESE of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea M5.92025-08-07 16:33:59 UTC96.3 kmNew Britain Region, Papua New Guinea M5.92025-08-07 16:33:59 UTC90.0 kmNEW BRITAIN REGION, P.N.G. M5.92025-08-07 16:33:59 UTC90.0 km71 km E of Kokopo, 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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