M5.8 Depth: 37.5 km

M5.8 Earthquake near Mindiri, Madang (Papua New Guinea)

UTC time: 2026-01-20 07:21:54 UTC Local time:
M5.8 earthquake near Mindiri on Jan 20, 2026 — map of epicenter and shaking intensity | QuakeMap24
M5.8 Earthquake near Mindiri, Madang (Papua New Guinea) · 2026-01-20 07:21:54 UTC

About this earthquake

A magnitude M5.8 earthquake was recorded near Mindiri, Madang (Papua New Guinea) on January 20, 2026 at 07:21 UTC. The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 38 km, increasing how strongly it was felt. Earthquakes of this magnitude can damage poorly built structures.

The event was recorded by INGV. Papua New Guinea: over the past 24 hours, QuakeMap24 logged 2 earthquakes, the strongest at M5.0.

Details

Magnitude
M5.8
Depth
37.5 km
UTC time
2026-01-20 07:21:54 UTC
Local time
State
City
Village
Mindiri
Source
ingv
Coordinates
-5.51250, 146.13700
Temperature
25.0°C

Map

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 37.5 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 37.5 km
Shallow
37.5 km
37.5 km — shallower than the regional average (83.7 km)
Regional average: 83.7 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
Madang50.5 kmNW27'419
Port Moresby454.8 kmS283'733

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Hankow Reef
    Distance: 95 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: -5 m ·Papua New Guinea
  • Karkar
    Distance: 98 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'839 m ·Last eruption: 1979 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Long Island
    Distance: 109 km ·Complex ·Elevation: 1'263 m ·Last eruption: 1993 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Umboi
    Distance: 194 km ·Complex ·Elevation: 1'335 m ·Papua New Guinea
  • Manam
    Distance: 201 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'807 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Sakar
    Distance: 216 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 947 m ·Papua New Guinea

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 eventM5.9

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#10
Earlier events M≥484
Earlier events M≥533
Compared since2025-01-06

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

Strongest earlier events

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.

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