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M5.9 Depth: 19.0 km

M5.9 Earthquake near NEW BRITAIN REGION, P.N.G. (Papua New Guinea)

UTC time: 2025-08-07 16:33:59 UTC Local time: —

About this earthquake

On August 7, 2025 at 16:33 UTC, a magnitude M5.9 earthquake occurred near NEW BRITAIN REGION, P.N.G. (Papua New Guinea). The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 19 km, increasing how strongly it was felt. Events of this size can cause damage near the epicenter.

The event was recorded by EMSC. Papua New Guinea: 4 earthquakes were recorded in the past 24 hours, the strongest reaching M5.0.

Details

Magnitude
M5.9
Depth
19.0 km
UTC time
2025-08-07 16:33:59 UTC
Local time
—
Country
Papua New Guinea
City
New Ireland
Source
emsc
Coordinates
-4.26090, 152.90730
Temperature
25.9°C

Map

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 19 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 19 km
Shallow
19 km
19 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
Kokopo71.4 kmW26'273
Port Moresby860.2 kmSW283'733

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Tavui
    Distance: 79 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 200 m ·Last eruption: -4946 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Rabaul
    Distance: 79 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 688 m ·Last eruption: 2014 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Ulawun
    Distance: 196 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'334 m ·Last eruption: 2025 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Lolobau
    Distance: 207 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 878 m ·Last eruption: 1912 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Bamus
    Distance: 213 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'248 m ·Last eruption: 1886 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Hargy
    Distance: 233 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'148 m ·Last eruption: 950 ·Papua New Guinea

Subsequent earthquakes nearby

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

First 6 hours0
First 24 hours0
First 72 hours0
Strongest subsequent eventM5.3
M5.02025-08-24 18:19:13 UTC83.8 kmNEW IRELAND REGION, P.N.G. M4.82025-08-24 18:19:22 UTC66.4 km36 km SSE of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea M5.22025-09-04 09:38:35 UTC101.6 kmNew Ireland Region, Papua New Guinea M5.32025-09-04 09:38:41 UTC97.0 km149 km ESE of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea M5.32025-09-04 09:38:41 UTC90.0 kmNEW IRELAND REGION, P.N.G. M5.12025-09-04 09:38:48 UTC79.0 kmEvent of magnitude 5.1, near of Port Moresby (Monde)

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#3
Earlier events M≥443
Earlier events M≥510
Compared since2025-01-01

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 UTC62.1 km M6.12025-04-12 03:47:09 UTC55.1 km105 km ESE of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea M5.52025-04-12 03:47:24 UTC78.0 kmNew Ireland M5.42025-01-02 07:06:39 UTC144.9 kmNew Ireland M5.32025-08-07 16:33:58 UTC23.9 kmSemalu

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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