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Papua New Guinea · Sandaun

M4.4 Earthquake near Aitape District, Sandaun (Papua New Guinea)

UTC time: 2026-01-29 17:09:10 UTC Local time: —

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About this earthquake

On January 29, 2026 at 17:09 UTC, a magnitude M4.4 earthquake occurred near Aitape District, Sandaun (Papua New Guinea). With a focal depth of about 10 km, this was a shallow earthquake, whose shaking is usually felt more strongly at the surface. Tremors of this size are distinctly felt and can occasionally cause light damage.

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

Details

ID
540b02bf5ed2374a9c2620f99660a3f873a1806a
Magnitude
M4.4
Depth
10.0 km
UTC time
2026-01-29 17:09:10 UTC
Local time
—
Country
Papua New Guinea
State
Sandaun
City
Aitape District
County
Aitape District
Source
isc
Coordinates
-2.83600, 142.17500
Temperature
23.3°C

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 (80.5 km)
Regional average: 80.5 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

Volcanoes nearby

  • Blup Blup
    Distance: 280 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 402 m ·Papua New Guinea
  • Kadovar
    Distance: 281 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 365 m ·Last eruption: 2023 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Bam
    Distance: 306 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 685 m ·Last eruption: 1960 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Manam
    Distance: 346 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'807 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Karkar
    Distance: 467 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'839 m ·Last eruption: 1979 ·Papua New Guinea

Sandaun

Context for this earthquake

05 Oct 2025 – 05 Oct 2026 · M ≥ 3.0 · 50 Catalogue entries

Sufficiently reliable matching data are not currently available for a direct comparison. The area profile shows the available records and their limitations.

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Historic earthquake map · Papua New Guinea

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Country statistics · Papua New Guinea

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