M4.6 Depth: 576.0 km

M4.6 Earthquake near Lambe, West New Britain (Papua New Guinea)

UTC time: 2026-05-17 18:13:43 UTC Local time:

About this earthquake

On May 17, 2026 at 18:13 UTC, a magnitude M4.6 earthquake occurred near Lambe, West New Britain (Papua New Guinea). The deep hypocenter at about 576 km dampens the shaking felt at the surface. Earthquakes of this magnitude are clearly felt; minor damage to vulnerable buildings is possible.

The data is provided by GFZ and cross-checked across seismological networks. Papua New Guinea: 2 earthquakes were recorded in the past 24 hours, the strongest reaching M5.0.

Map

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 576 km (Deep) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 576 km
Deep
576 km
576 km — deeper than the regional average (83.7 km)
Regional average: 83.7 km
Why depth matters

Deep quakes are felt over very large areas but rarely cause surface damage.

Depth classes per USGS

Volcanoes nearby

  • Dakataua
    Distance: 81 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 408 m ·Last eruption: 1895 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Bola
    Distance: 83 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'116 m ·Papua New Guinea
  • Garua Harbour
    Distance: 99 km ·Volcanic field ·Elevation: 565 m ·Papua New Guinea
  • Krummel-Garbuna-Welcker
    Distance: 106 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 564 m ·Last eruption: 2008 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Lolo
    Distance: 146 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 796 m ·Papua New Guinea
  • Witori
    Distance: 155 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 724 m ·Last eruption: 2012 ·Papua New Guinea

Historic earthquake map · Papua New Guinea

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

View earthquake KPIs, strongest and latest events, and averages for this country.

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