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M5.3 Depth: 5.4 km

M5.3 Earthquake near Semalu, New Ireland (Papua New Guinea)

UTC time: 2025-08-07 16:33:58 UTC Local time: —

About this earthquake

On August 7, 2025 at 16:33 UTC, a magnitude M5.3 earthquake occurred near Semalu, New Ireland (Papua New Guinea). The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 5 km, increasing how strongly it was felt. Events of this size can cause damage near the epicenter.

The data is provided by USP and cross-checked across seismological networks. Papua New Guinea: 4 earthquakes were recorded in the past 24 hours, the strongest reaching M5.0.

Map

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 5.4 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 5.4 km
Shallow
5.4 km
5.4 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
Kokopo47.6 kmW26'273
Port Moresby842.0 kmSW283'733

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Rabaul
    Distance: 55 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 688 m ·Last eruption: 2014 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Tavui
    Distance: 56 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 200 m ·Last eruption: -4946 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Ulawun
    Distance: 174 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'334 m ·Last eruption: 2025 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Lolobau
    Distance: 184 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 878 m ·Last eruption: 1912 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Bamus
    Distance: 192 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'248 m ·Last eruption: 1886 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Hargy
    Distance: 212 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 hours3
First 24 hours3
First 72 hours3
Strongest subsequent eventM5.9
M5.92025-08-07 16:33:59 UTC21.9 kmNew Britain Region, Papua New Guinea M5.92025-08-07 16:33:59 UTC23.9 kmNEW BRITAIN REGION, P.N.G. M5.92025-08-07 16:33:59 UTC23.8 km71 km E of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea M5.02025-08-21 14:06:47 UTC132.9 kmEvent of magnitude 5.0, near of Lae (Monde) M5.02025-08-24 18:19:13 UTC94.1 kmNEW IRELAND REGION, P.N.G. M4.82025-08-24 18:19:22 UTC48.9 km36 km SSE of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea M5.22025-09-04 09:38:35 UTC118.1 kmNew Ireland Region, Papua New Guinea M5.32025-09-04 09:38:41 UTC113.6 km149 km ESE of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea M5.32025-09-04 09:38:41 UTC105.2 kmNEW IRELAND REGION, P.N.G. M5.12025-09-04 09:38:48 UTC83.7 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#6
Earlier events M≥449
Earlier events M≥511
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 UTC77.7 km M6.12025-04-12 03:47:09 UTC69.3 km105 km ESE of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea M5.52025-04-12 03:47:24 UTC73.4 kmNew Ireland M5.52025-01-21 11:15:29 UTC138.5 km83 km NW of Rabaul, Papua New Guinea M5.42025-01-02 07:06:39 UTC124.2 kmNew Ireland

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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