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M5.3 Depth: 59.9 km

M5.3 Earthquake near 149 km ESE of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea (Papua New Guinea)

UTC time: 2025-09-04 09:38:41 UTC Local time: —

About this earthquake

On September 4, 2025 at 09:38 UTC, a magnitude M5.3 earthquake occurred near 149 km ESE of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea (Papua New Guinea). The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 60 km, increasing how strongly it was felt. Earthquakes of this magnitude can damage poorly built structures.

The data is provided by USGS and cross-checked across seismological networks. Papua New Guinea: over the past 24 hours, QuakeMap24 logged 4 earthquakes, the strongest at M5.0.

Details

Magnitude
M5.3
Depth
59.9 km
UTC time
2025-09-04 09:38:41 UTC
Local time
—
Country
Papua New Guinea
City
New Ireland
Source
usgs
Coordinates
-4.91070, 153.49100
Temperature
27.8°C

Map

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 59.9 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 59.9 km
Shallow
59.9 km
59.9 km — shallower than the regional average (85 km)
Regional average: 85 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
Kokopo149.4 kmNW26'273
Port Moresby864.2 kmSW283'733

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Rabaul
    Distance: 162 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 688 m ·Last eruption: 2014 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Tavui
    Distance: 167 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 200 m ·Last eruption: -4946 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Balbi
    Distance: 201 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'715 m ·Papua New Guinea
  • Billy Mitchell
    Distance: 232 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 1'544 m ·Last eruption: 1580 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Bagana
    Distance: 233 km ·Lava cone ·Elevation: 1'855 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Ulawun
    Distance: 240 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'334 m ·Last eruption: 2025 ·Papua New Guinea

Subsequent earthquakes nearby

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

First 6 hours1
First 24 hours1
First 72 hours1
Strongest subsequent eventM6.1
M5.12025-09-04 09:38:48 UTC57.2 kmEvent of magnitude 5.1, near of Port Moresby (Monde) M5.72025-09-16 16:59:44 UTC66.0 kmNew Ireland Region, Papua New Guinea M6.02025-09-16 16:59:46 UTC63.0 kmNew Ireland Region, Papua New Guinea M6.02025-09-16 16:59:46 UTC53.8 kmEvent of magnitude 6.0, near of Port Moresby (Monde) M6.02025-09-16 16:59:51 UTC68.5 kmNEW IRELAND REGION, P.N.G. M6.12025-09-16 16:59:52 UTC68.1 kmPapua New Guinea [Sea]

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#7
Earlier events M≥444
Earlier events M≥515
Compared since2025-01-12

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

Strongest earlier events

M6.22025-04-12 03:47:13 UTC35.8 km M6.12025-04-12 03:47:09 UTC44.6 km105 km ESE of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea M5.92025-08-07 16:33:59 UTC103.2 kmNew Britain Region, Papua New Guinea M5.92025-08-07 16:33:59 UTC97.0 kmNEW BRITAIN REGION, P.N.G. M5.92025-08-07 16:33:59 UTC97.0 km71 km E of Kokopo, 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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