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M5.5 Depth: 10.0 km

M5.5 Earthquake near 83 km NW of Rabaul, Papua New Guinea

UTC time: 2025-01-21 11:15:29 UTC Local time: —

About this earthquake

A magnitude M5.5 earthquake was recorded near 83 km NW of Rabaul, Papua New Guinea on January 21, 2025 at 11:15 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 data is provided by USGS and cross-checked across seismological networks.

Details

Magnitude
M5.5
Depth
10.0 km
UTC time
2025-01-21 11:15:29 UTC
Local time
—
Country
—
Source
usgs
Coordinates
-3.76650, 151.55100

Map

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
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
Kokopo102.2 kmSE26'273
Port Moresby799.5 kmSW283'733

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Tavui
    Distance: 83 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 200 m ·Last eruption: -4946 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Rabaul
    Distance: 89 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 688 m ·Last eruption: 2014 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Lolobau
    Distance: 135 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 878 m ·Last eruption: 1912 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Ulawun
    Distance: 145 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'334 m ·Last eruption: 2025 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Bamus
    Distance: 163 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'248 m ·Last eruption: 1886 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Hargy
    Distance: 181 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'148 m ·Last eruption: 950 ·Papua New Guinea

Subsequent earthquakes nearby

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

First 6 hours0
First 24 hours0
First 72 hours0
Strongest subsequent eventM5.7
M5.72025-01-24 18:26:51 UTC90.0 km150 km S of Kavieng, Papua New Guinea M5.12025-02-11 02:37:45 UTC78.3 km125 km S of Kavieng, Papua New Guinea M5.02025-02-11 05:32:36 UTC82.6 km150 km W of Rabaul, Papua New Guinea M4.32025-02-19 13:40:36 UTC94.3 km128 km WSW of Rabaul, Papua New Guinea

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#1
Earlier events M≥418
Earlier events M≥57
Compared since2025-01-01

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

Strongest earlier events

M5.42025-01-02 07:06:39 UTC19.3 kmNew Ireland M5.22025-01-21 10:57:24 UTC11.7 km94 km NW of Rabaul, Papua New Guinea M5.12025-01-03 01:47:28 UTC17.9 kmNew Ireland M5.12025-01-01 12:26:22 UTC17.0 kmNew Ireland M5.02025-01-05 17:24:43 UTC15.9 km73 km NW of Rabaul, Papua New Guinea

Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)
651
Country (24h)
—
—
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