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M5.5 Depth: 10.0 km

M5.5 Earthquake near Bismarck Sea

UTC time: 2026-03-12 21:58:47 UTC Local time: —

About this earthquake

On March 12, 2026 at 21:58 UTC, a magnitude M5.5 earthquake occurred near Bismarck Sea. 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 event was recorded by GFZ.

Details

Magnitude
M5.5
Depth
10.0 km
UTC time
2026-03-12 21:58:47 UTC
Local time
—
Country
—
Source
gfz
Coordinates
-3.37000, 149.79000
Temperature
28.3°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
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
Kimbe245.5 kmS18'847
Port Moresby739.0 kmSW283'733

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Dakataua
    Distance: 189 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 408 m ·Last eruption: 1895 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Bola
    Distance: 199 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'116 m ·Papua New Guinea
  • Garua Harbour
    Distance: 217 km ·Volcanic field ·Elevation: 565 m ·Papua New Guinea
  • Titan Ridge
    Distance: 226 km ·Fissure vent ·Elevation: -1'300 m ·Last eruption: 1972 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Krummel-Garbuna-Welcker
    Distance: 229 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 564 m ·Last eruption: 2008 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Lolobau
    Distance: 230 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 878 m ·Last eruption: 1912 ·Papua New Guinea

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#2
Earlier events M≥412
Earlier events M≥59
Compared since2025-01-15

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

Strongest earlier events

M5.72025-01-24 18:26:51 UTC124.6 km150 km S of Kavieng, Papua New Guinea M5.22026-03-12 21:58:46 UTC18.0 kmNew Ireland M5.22025-10-10 05:46:40 UTC90.5 kmBismarck Sea M5.12025-10-11 08:35:22 UTC129.3 kmBismarck Sea M5.12025-10-10 05:46:40 UTC98.2 km219 km WSW of Kavieng, Papua New Guinea

Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)
658
Country (24h)
—
—
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