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M5.7 Depth: 31.0 km

M5.7 Earthquake near New Britain Region, Papua New Guinea

UTC time: 2025-12-21 05:25:23 UTC Local time: —

About this earthquake

On December 21, 2025 at 05:25 UTC, a magnitude M5.7 earthquake occurred near New Britain Region, Papua New Guinea. With a focal depth of about 31 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 USP and cross-checked across seismological networks.

Details

Magnitude
M5.7
Depth
31.0 km
UTC time
2025-12-21 05:25:23 UTC
Local time
—
Country
—
Source
usp
Coordinates
-5.80630, 151.72495

Map

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 31 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 31 km
Shallow
31 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
Kokopo173.5 kmN26'273
Port Moresby648.6 kmSW283'733

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Bamus
    Distance: 87 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'248 m ·Last eruption: 1886 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Hargy
    Distance: 87 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'148 m ·Last eruption: 950 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Sulu Range
    Distance: 93 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 610 m ·Papua New Guinea
  • Ulawun
    Distance: 95 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'334 m ·Last eruption: 2025 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Lolobau
    Distance: 117 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 878 m ·Last eruption: 1912 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Witori
    Distance: 136 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 724 m ·Last eruption: 2012 ·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 hours7
First 72 hours8
Strongest subsequent eventM5.5
M5.22025-12-21 05:25:25 UTC88.2 kmEvent of magnitude 5.2, near of Port Moresby (Monde) M4.92025-12-21 14:23:34 UTC27.2 km150 km SSW of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea M4.92025-12-21 14:23:35 UTC34.7 kmNew Britain Region, Papua New Guinea M5.32025-12-21 23:07:27 UTC17.2 km157 km SSW of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea M5.52025-12-21 23:07:27 UTC42.5 kmNEW BRITAIN REGION, P.N.G. M5.42025-12-21 23:07:28 UTC27.5 kmNew Britain Region, Papua New Guinea M5.22025-12-21 23:07:28 UTC73.9 kmEvent of magnitude 5.2, near of Port Moresby (Monde) M4.92025-12-22 14:00:23 UTC44.9 kmNew Britain Region, Papua New Guinea M5.12025-12-29 11:40:02 UTC95.6 km115 km S of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea M5.12025-12-29 11:40:02 UTC117.4 kmEvent of magnitude 5.1, near of Port Moresby (Monde) M5.02025-12-29 11:40:09 UTC84.5 kmNew Britain Region, Papua New Guinea M5.12025-12-29 11:40:09 UTC84.1 kmNEW BRITAIN REGION, P.N.G.

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#4
Earlier events M≥4199
Earlier events M≥562
Compared since2025-01-01

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

Strongest earlier events

M6.92025-04-04 20:04:38 UTC58.7 km181 km ESE of Kimbe, Papua New Guinea M6.52025-04-04 20:04:39 UTC44.5 km194 km ESE of Kimbe, Papua New Guinea M5.82025-06-23 03:17:13 UTC122.3 kmNew Britain Region, Papua New Guinea M5.52025-04-12 03:47:24 UTC145.4 kmNew Ireland M5.42025-04-30 11:51:43 UTC93.5 kmNew Britain Region, Papua New Guinea

Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)
630
Country (24h)
—
—
Current earthquakes in
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