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M5.0 Depth: 10.0 km

M5.0 Earthquake near Papua New Guinea Region (Papua New Guinea)

UTC time: 2025-12-09 03:33:09 UTC Local time: —
M5.0 earthquake near Morobe on Dec 9, 2025 — map of epicenter and shaking intensity | QuakeMap24
M5.0 Earthquake near Papua New Guinea Region (Papua New Guinea) · 2025-12-09 03:33:09 UTC

About this earthquake

On December 9, 2025 at 03:33 UTC, a magnitude M5.0 earthquake occurred near Papua New Guinea Region (Papua New Guinea). The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 10 km, increasing how strongly it was felt. Earthquakes of this magnitude can damage poorly built structures.

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

Details

Magnitude
M5.0
Depth
10.0 km
UTC time
2025-12-09 03:33:09 UTC
Local time
—
Country
Papua New Guinea
City
Morobe
Source
gfz
Coordinates
-6.30000, 147.17000
Temperature
26.1°C

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
10 km — shallower than the regional average (81.9 km)
Regional average: 81.9 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
Lae50.8 kmS76'255
Port Moresby353.3 kmS283'733

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Long Island
    Distance: 110 km ·Complex ·Elevation: 1'263 m ·Last eruption: 1993 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Umboi
    Distance: 112 km ·Complex ·Elevation: 1'335 m ·Papua New Guinea
  • Ritter Island
    Distance: 136 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 75 m ·Last eruption: 2007 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Sakar
    Distance: 141 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 947 m ·Papua New Guinea
  • Langila
    Distance: 163 km ·Complex ·Elevation: 1'330 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Hankow Reef
    Distance: 165 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: -5 m ·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
M5.22025-12-23 09:54:51 UTC88.4 kmEASTERN NEW GUINEA REG., P.N.G. M5.02025-12-23 09:54:52 UTC93.4 kmMadang M5.22025-12-23 09:54:53 UTC85.1 km119 km NNW of Finschhafen, Papua New Guinea M5.22025-12-23 09:54:53 UTC91.2 kmPapua New Guinea Region M4.32025-12-25 21:33:26 UTC75.9 km40 km N of Finschhafen, Papua New Guinea M4.82025-12-27 08:18:18 UTC58.5 kmEASTERN NEW GUINEA REG., P.N.G. M5.72026-01-05 00:41:48 UTC140.9 kmEvent of magnitude 5.7, near of Lae (Monde) M5.22026-01-05 00:42:04 UTC86.4 km100 km NNW of Finschhafen, Papua New Guinea M5.52026-01-05 00:42:04 UTC91.1 kmPapua New Guinea Region

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#27
Earlier events M≥493
Earlier events M≥534
Compared since2025-01-08

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

Strongest earlier events

M6.72025-10-07 11:05:19 UTC61.4 kmEASTERN NEW GUINEA REG., P.N.G. M6.72025-10-07 11:05:17 UTC64.6 kmGabensis M6.72025-10-07 11:05:17 UTC60.4 kmEastern New Guinea region M6.72025-10-07 11:05:15 UTC49.2 kmPapua New Guinea [Land] M6.62025-10-07 11:05:18 UTC69.8 km26 km WSW of Lae, Papua New Guinea

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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