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M5.1 Depth: 258.9 km

M5.1 Earthquake near Nipa District, Southern Highlands (Papua New Guinea)

UTC time: 2026-08-15 11:10:56 UTC Local time: —
M5.1 earthquake near Nipa District on Aug 15, 2026 — map of epicenter and shaking intensity | QuakeMap24
M5.1 Earthquake near Nipa District, Southern Highlands (Papua New Guinea) · 2026-08-15 11:10:56 UTC

About this earthquake

A magnitude M5.1 earthquake was recorded near Nipa District, Southern Highlands (Papua New Guinea) on August 15, 2026 at 11:10 UTC. The earthquake originated at an intermediate depth of about 259 km. Earthquakes of this magnitude can damage poorly built structures.

The data is provided by RESIF and cross-checked across seismological networks.

Map

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 258.9 km (Intermediate) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 258.9 km
Intermediate
258.9 km
258.9 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

Tectonic context

Located on the Australia Plate.
Near the boundary Woodlark ↔ Australia · about 20 km away

Nearby population centers

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

PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation
Mendi71.6 kmN26'252
Merauke404.9 kmSW116'864

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Manam
    Distance: 338 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'807 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Karkar
    Distance: 351 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'839 m ·Last eruption: 1979 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Kadovar
    Distance: 369 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 365 m ·Last eruption: 2023 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Bam
    Distance: 376 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 685 m ·Last eruption: 1960 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Blup Blup
    Distance: 380 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 402 m ·Papua New Guinea
  • Hankow Reef
    Distance: 400 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: -5 m ·Papua New Guinea

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#4
Earlier events M≥414
Earlier events M≥55
Compared since2025-01-26

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

Strongest earlier events

M5.62026-01-26 17:06:22 UTC38.9 kmBaibu M5.42026-01-26 17:06:23 UTC33.8 kmNipa District M5.22026-08-05 19:46:31 UTC33.4 kmErave M5.02026-01-03 01:26:40 UTC39.3 km33 km SSW of Mendi, Papua New Guinea M5.02026-01-03 01:26:40 UTC42.6 kmNew Guinea, 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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