Magnitude
M5.6
- Depth
- 10.0 km
- Source
- GFZ
Southern Highlands · Baibu
Country overviewPapua New Guinea · Southern Highlands
M5.6 Earthquake near Baibu, Southern Highlands (Papua New Guinea)
Earthquake newsQuakeMap24
Archive record · original publication time was not recorded
Automatically generated from measurement data by QuakeMap24. Values may change after further analysis.
Map
About this earthquake
A magnitude M5.6 earthquake was recorded near Baibu, Southern Highlands (Papua New Guinea) on January 26, 2026 at 17:06 UTC. With a focal depth of about 10 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 GFZ. Papua New Guinea: 2 earthquakes were recorded in the past 24 hours, the strongest reaching M4.9.
Details
ID
632cc9130505672216cb9a67cefec2645a9cba24
Magnitude
M5.6
Depth
10.0 km
UTC time
2026-01-26 17:06:22 UTC
Local time
—
Country
State
City
County
Village
Baibu
Source
gfz
Coordinates
-6.47000,
143.51000
Temperature
20.9°C
Depth profile
Shallow
10 km
10 km — shallower than the regional average (80.7 km)
Regional average: 80.7 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
Mendi39.3 kmNE26'252
Merauke409.9 kmSW116'864
GeoNames · CC BY 4.0
Volcanoes nearby
Radius · 100 km
Nearby infrastructure
Airports
- Moro Airport32.3 kmStraight-line distance
Papua New Guinea · MXH · AYMR - Mendi Airport39.3 kmStraight-line distancePapua New Guinea · MDU · AYMN
- Tari Airport93.2 kmStraight-line distancePapua New Guinea · TIZ · AYTA
Source: OurAirports · Dataset date: 2026-10-05
This selection shows geographic proximity, not a hazard zone or confirmed impacts. Distances use recorded site coordinates. Sources & data dates
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 eventM5.4
Papua New Guinea
Context for this earthquake
05 Oct 2025 – 05 Oct 2026 · M ≥ 3.0 · 307 Catalogue entries
Sufficiently reliable matching data are not currently available for a direct comparison. The area profile shows the available records and their limitations.
Open seismic profileHistorical context nearby
Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.
Magnitude rank#1
Earlier events M≥411
Earlier events M≥53
Compared since2025-01-26
The QuakeMap24 comparison dataset begins on 2024-03-23. Earlier earthquakes may not be included.
Strongest earlier events
M5.12025-07-15 21:16:55 UTC147.5 kmNew Guinea, Papua New Guinea
M5.02026-01-03 01:26:40 UTC10.2 km33 km SSW of Mendi, Papua New Guinea
M5.02026-01-03 01:26:40 UTC21.0 kmNew Guinea, Papua New Guinea
M4.92025-07-17 11:25:54 UTC129.3 kmNew Guinea, Papua New Guinea
M4.92025-07-17 11:25:53 UTC114.1 kmNEW GUINEA, PAPUA NEW GUINEA
Historic earthquake map · Papua New Guinea
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
View earthquake KPIs, strongest and latest events, and averages for this country.
Stats (last 24h)
Global (24h)
612
Country (24h)
Papua New Guinea
2