Magnitude
M5.1
- Depth
- 28.0 km
- Source
- USGS
East New Britain · East New Britain
Country overviewPapua New Guinea · East New Britain
M5.1 Earthquake near East New Britain (Papua New Guinea)
Earthquake newsQuakeMap24
First published: Content updated:
Automatically generated from measurement data by QuakeMap24. Values may change after further analysis.
Map
About this earthquake
A magnitude M5.1 earthquake was recorded near East New Britain (Papua New Guinea) on September 30, 2026 at 08:15 UTC. With a focal depth of about 28 km, this was a shallow earthquake, whose shaking is usually felt more strongly at the surface. Events of this size can cause damage near the epicenter.
The data is provided by USGS and cross-checked across seismological networks. Papua New Guinea: 2 earthquakes were recorded in the past 24 hours, the strongest reaching M4.9.
Details
ID
95379ca15e1d74c7469fa102155b0daad644d6b5
Magnitude
M5.1
Depth
28.0 km
UTC time
2026-09-30 08:15:17 UTC
Local time
—
Country
State
City
Source
usgs
Coordinates
-5.43500,
152.13280
Temperature
24.8°C
Depth profile
Shallow
28 km
28 km — shallower than the regional average (82.3 km)
Regional average: 82.3 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
Felt reports
1felt reports at EMSC / LastQuake
Voluntary reports of feeling this earthquake. The count is not an intensity measurement and is not added to USGS DYFI reports.
Data updated: Sep 30, 2026, 8:21 AM UTC · Last checked: Oct 4, 2026, 11:52 AM UTC
Source: EMSC / LastQuake
Tectonic context
Located on the South Bismarck Plate.
Near the boundary South Bismarck ↔ Solomon Sea · about 38 km away
Nearby population centers
Distances are straight-line distances from the epicenter. Population data: GeoNames.
PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation
Kokopo110.0 kmN26'273
Port Moresby734.8 kmSW283'733
GeoNames · CC BY 4.0
Volcanoes nearby
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 hours1
Strongest subsequent eventM4.6
Comparison of seismic sources
4 sources currently report magnitudes from M5.1 to M5.2.
Measurements can differ because agencies use different networks and calculation methods. Values may be revised.
SourceMagnitudeDepthPosition difference
RESIFM5.110.0 km40.8 km
EMSCM5.128.0 km0.0 km
USGSM5.128.0 km0.0 km
GFZM5.273.0 km25.7 km
East New Britain
Context for this earthquake
04 Oct 2025 – 04 Oct 2026 · M ≥ 3.0 · 32 Catalogue entries
Of 31 other entries for this area and period, 11 have a higher stored magnitude. Different magnitude types and reports not yet merged limit the comparison.
Open seismic profileHistorical context nearby
Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.
Magnitude rank#37
Earlier events M≥4267
Earlier events M≥5106
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 UTC137.4 km181 km ESE of Kimbe, Papua New Guinea
M6.52025-04-04 20:04:39 UTC116.3 km194 km ESE of Kimbe, Papua New Guinea
M6.22025-04-12 03:47:13 UTC120.5 km
M6.12025-04-12 03:47:09 UTC114.8 km105 km ESE of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea
M6.02025-09-16 16:59:46 UTC140.7 kmEvent of magnitude 6.0, near of Port Moresby (Monde)
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.
Stats (last 24h)
Global (24h)
449
Country (24h)
Papua New Guinea
2