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Papua New Guinea · Madang

M4.6 Earthquake near Bibi, Madang (Papua New Guinea)

UTC time: 2026-09-16 19:37:05 UTC Local time: —
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Archive record · original publication time was not recorded Content updated:

Automatically generated from measurement data by QuakeMap24. Values may change after further analysis.

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About this earthquake

On September 16, 2026 at 19:37 UTC, a magnitude M4.6 earthquake occurred near Bibi, Madang (Papua New Guinea). With a focal depth of about 60 km, this was a shallow earthquake, whose shaking is usually felt more strongly at the surface. Earthquakes of this magnitude are clearly felt; minor damage to vulnerable buildings is possible.

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

Details

ID
a82c8ca3a60aeb9d4f62b4b4b146b80f4b6442a9
Magnitude
M4.6
Depth
59.9 km
UTC time
2026-09-16 19:37:05 UTC
Local time
—
Country
Papua New Guinea
State
Madang
City
Bibi
County
Rai Coast District
Village
Bibi
Source
usgs
Coordinates
-5.53990, 146.01720
Temperature
27.0°C

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 59.9 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 59.9 km
Shallow
59.9 km
59.9 km — shallower than the regional average (82.8 km)
Regional average: 82.8 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

Tectonic context

Located on the South Bismarck Plate.
Near the boundary South Bismarck ↔ Woodlark · about 53 km away

Volcanoes nearby

  • Karkar
    Distance: 99 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'839 m ·Last eruption: 1979 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Hankow Reef
    Distance: 106 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: -5 m ·Papua New Guinea
  • Long Island
    Distance: 123 km ·Complex ·Elevation: 1'263 m ·Last eruption: 1993 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Manam
    Distance: 195 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'807 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Umboi
    Distance: 208 km ·Complex ·Elevation: 1'335 m ·Papua New Guinea
  • Sakar
    Distance: 229 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 947 m ·Papua New Guinea

Radius · 50 km

Nearby infrastructure

Up to 3 nearest sites per category

Airports

  • Madang AirportPapua New Guinea · MAG · AYMD
    44.8 kmStraight-line distance

Source: OurAirports · Dataset date: 2026-09-17

This selection shows geographic proximity, not a hazard zone or confirmed impacts. Distances use recorded site coordinates. Sources & data dates

Madang

Context for this earthquake

17 Sep 2025 – 17 Sep 2026 · M ≥ 3.0 · 44 Catalogue entries

Of 43 other entries for this area and period, 28 have a higher stored magnitude. Different magnitude types and reports not yet merged limit the comparison.

Open seismic profile

Historic earthquake map · Papua New Guinea

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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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