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M5.3 Depth: 75.5 km

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

UTC time: 2025-12-10 13:30:14 UTC Local time: —

About this earthquake

A magnitude M5.3 earthquake was recorded near BOUGAINVILLE REGION, P.N.G. (Papua New Guinea) on December 10, 2025 at 13:30 UTC. The earthquake originated at an intermediate depth of about 76 km. Earthquakes of this magnitude can damage poorly built structures.

The data is provided by EMSC and cross-checked across seismological networks. Papua New Guinea: over the past 24 hours, QuakeMap24 logged 2 earthquakes, the strongest at M5.1.

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Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 75.5 km (Intermediate) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 75.5 km
Intermediate
75.5 km
75.5 km — close to the regional average (84.8 km)
Regional average: 84.8 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
Arawa75.6 kmE40'266
Port Moresby922.2 kmSW283'733

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Bagana
    Distance: 39 km ·Lava cone ·Elevation: 1'855 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Billy Mitchell
    Distance: 44 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 1'544 m ·Last eruption: 1580 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Balbi
    Distance: 45 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'715 m ·Papua New Guinea
  • Takuan Group
    Distance: 81 km ·Compound ·Elevation: 2'210 m ·Papua New Guinea
  • Loloru
    Distance: 85 km ·Compound ·Elevation: 1'887 m ·Last eruption: -1050 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Simbo
    Distance: 285 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 335 m ·Last eruption: 1910 ·Solomon Islands

Subsequent earthquakes nearby

Events recorded after this earthquake within 150 km. They are not automatically classified as aftershocks.

First 6 hours2
First 24 hours2
First 72 hours2
Strongest subsequent eventM5.3
M5.32025-12-10 13:30:16 UTC6.4 kmEvent of magnitude 5.3, near of Port Moresby (Monde) M5.32025-12-10 13:30:17 UTC10.4 km69 km W of Panguna, Papua New Guinea M4.82025-12-16 15:49:30 UTC100.9 kmSolomon Islands M4.82025-12-18 22:35:27 UTC58.1 kmSolomon Islands M4.82025-12-18 22:35:29 UTC47.7 kmBOUGAINVILLE REGION, P.N.G. M5.12025-12-30 11:22:08 UTC89.9 kmBougainville-Solomon Islands region M4.92025-12-30 11:22:09 UTC79.2 kmSolomon Islands

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#2
Earlier events M≥456
Earlier events M≥516
Compared since2025-01-03

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

Strongest earlier events

M5.42025-02-10 00:28:21 UTC121.5 km86 km SSE of Panguna, Papua New Guinea M5.22025-08-24 18:18:56 UTC86.2 kmSolomon Islands M5.22025-04-15 15:49:03 UTC25.2 km59 km WSW of Panguna, Papua New Guinea M5.12025-10-19 09:55:41 UTC120.9 kmSolomon Islands M5.12025-06-26 07:54:46 UTC84.7 kmSolomon Islands

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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