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M6.4 Depth: 10.0 km

M6.4 Earthquake near NEAR N COAST OF NEW GUINEA, PNG. (Papua New Guinea)

UTC time: 2025-05-20 15:05:58 UTC Local time: —

About this earthquake

A magnitude M6.4 earthquake was recorded near NEAR N COAST OF NEW GUINEA, PNG. (Papua New Guinea) on May 20, 2025 at 15:05 UTC. The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 10 km, increasing how strongly it was felt. Earthquakes of this magnitude can cause significant damage in populated areas.

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

Details

Magnitude
M6.4
Depth
10.0 km
UTC time
2025-05-20 15:05:58 UTC
Local time
—
Country
Papua New Guinea
City
East Sepik
Source
emsc
Coordinates
-3.85030, 144.76620
Temperature
27.7°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 (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
Wewak130.2 kmW18'230
Jayapura472.7 kmW410'852

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Bam
    Distance: 27 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 685 m ·Last eruption: 1960 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Kadovar
    Distance: 33 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 365 m ·Last eruption: 2023 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Manam
    Distance: 39 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'807 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Blup Blup
    Distance: 42 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 402 m ·Papua New Guinea
  • Karkar
    Distance: 161 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'839 m ·Last eruption: 1979 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Hankow Reef
    Distance: 245 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: -5 m ·Papua New Guinea

Subsequent earthquakes nearby

Events recorded after this earthquake within 250 km. They are not automatically classified as aftershocks.

First 6 hours3
First 24 hours3
First 72 hours6
Strongest subsequent eventM6.6
M6.62025-05-20 15:05:59 UTC41.7 km111 km NE of Angoram, Papua New Guinea M6.62025-05-20 15:06:02 UTC33.3 kmNear North Coast of Papua New Guinea M6.62025-05-20 15:06:04 UTC46.4 km116 km NE of Angoram, Papua New Guinea M4.62025-05-22 05:41:39 UTC196.0 km27 km NE of Ambunti, Papua New Guinea M4.92025-05-22 05:41:39 UTC207.0 kmNew Guinea, Papua New Guinea M4.62025-05-22 05:41:39 UTC201.9 kmNEW GUINEA, PAPUA NEW GUINEA

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 250 km.

Magnitude rank#1
Earlier events M≥427
Earlier events M≥54
Compared since2025-01-03

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

Strongest earlier events

M5.22025-04-04 10:51:48 UTC230.6 km53 km S of Madang, Papua New Guinea M5.12025-05-17 00:45:41 UTC90.1 kmNear North Coast of Papua New Guinea M5.12025-05-17 00:45:38 UTC74.2 kmNEAR N COAST OF NEW GUINEA, PNG. M5.12025-05-03 16:21:11 UTC143.9 kmNear North Coast of Papua New Guinea M4.92025-03-17 21:18:18 UTC217.6 kmMadang

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.

Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)
656
Country (24h)
Papua New Guinea
0
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No recent events available.

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