M5.5 Depth: 98.0 km

M5.5 Earthquake near New Ireland (Papua New Guinea)

UTC time: 2026-04-04 16:23:07 UTC Local time: —

M5.5 earthquake near New Ireland on Apr 4, 2026 — map of epicenter and shaking intensity | QuakeMap24 — M5.5 Earthquake near New Ireland (Papua New Guinea) · 2026-04-04 16:23:07 UTC

About this earthquake

On April 4, 2026 at 16:23 UTC, a magnitude M5.5 earthquake occurred near New Ireland (Papua New Guinea). At around 98 km, the focal depth places this among intermediate-depth events. Events of this size can cause damage near the epicenter.

The event was recorded by GFZ.

Details

Magnitude

M5.5

Depth

98.0 km

UTC time

2026-04-04 16:23:07 UTC

Local time

—

Country

Papua New Guinea

State

New Ireland

City

New Ireland

Source

gfz

Coordinates

-4.57000, 153.59000

Map

Depth profile

Intermediate

98 km

98 km — close to the regional average (81.8 km)

Regional average: 81.8 km

Why depth matters

Intermediate-depth quakes are felt across a wider area but usually cause less surface damage.

Depth classes per USGS

Nearby population centers

Distances are straight-line distances from the epicenter. Population data: GeoNames.

PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation

Kokopo148.6 kmW26'273

Port Moresby895.8 kmSW283'733

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

Rabaul

Distance: 159 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 688 m ·Last eruption: 2014 ·Papua New Guinea
Tavui

Distance: 161 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 200 m ·Last eruption: -4946 ·Papua New Guinea
Balbi

Distance: 216 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'715 m ·Papua New Guinea
Billy Mitchell

Distance: 248 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 1'544 m ·Last eruption: 1580 ·Papua New Guinea
Bagana

Distance: 249 km ·Lava cone ·Elevation: 1'855 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·Papua New Guinea
Ulawun

Distance: 256 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'334 m ·Last eruption: 2025 ·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 hours3

Strongest subsequent eventM5.3

M5.02026-04-06 08:27:48 UTC19.1 kmEvent of magnitude 5.0, near of Lae (Monde) M5.22026-04-06 08:27:49 UTC11.4 kmNew Ireland Region, Papua New Guinea M4.82026-04-06 08:27:49 UTC6.9 kmNEW IRELAND REGION, P.N.G. M5.32026-04-13 02:55:54 UTC46.8 kmNew Ireland Region, Papua New Guinea M5.32026-04-13 02:55:54 UTC55.7 kmEvent of magnitude 5.3, near of Port Moresby (Monde) M5.32026-04-13 02:56:01 UTC69.0 kmNEW IRELAND REGION, P.N.G. M4.82026-04-24 07:26:28 UTC7.9 kmNEW IRELAND REGION, P.N.G. M4.92026-04-24 07:26:28 UTC1.6 kmNew Ireland region M4.82026-04-24 07:26:31 UTC35.5 km113 km E of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea M5.02026-04-24 23:59:30 UTC10.1 kmNEW IRELAND REGION, P.N.G. M5.02026-04-24 23:59:31 UTC12.4 kmNew Ireland Region, Papua New Guinea M4.62026-04-27 22:25:06 UTC7.1 kmNew Ireland

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#12

Earlier events M≥466

Earlier events M≥533

Compared since2025-01-12

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 UTC42.5 km M6.12025-09-16 16:59:52 UTC99.2 kmPapua New Guinea [Sea] M6.12025-04-12 03:47:09 UTC50.1 km105 km ESE of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea M6.02025-09-16 16:59:51 UTC101.6 kmNEW IRELAND REGION, P.N.G. M6.02025-09-16 16:59:46 UTC95.3 kmNew Ireland Region, Papua New Guinea

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)

601

Country (24h)