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M2.9 Depth: 18.0 km

M2.9 Earthquake near Vanimo District, Sandaun (Papua New Guinea)

UTC time: 2026-01-08 04:53:34 UTC Local time: —

About this earthquake

A magnitude M2.9 earthquake was recorded near Vanimo District, Sandaun (Papua New Guinea) on January 8, 2026 at 04:53 UTC. With a focal depth of about 18 km, this was a shallow earthquake, whose shaking is usually felt more strongly at the surface. Events of this size typically go unnoticed.

The event was recorded by EMSC.

Map

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 18 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 18 km
Shallow
18 km
18 km — shallower than the regional average (81.9 km)
Regional average: 81.9 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

Volcanoes nearby

  • Kadovar
    Distance: 384 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 365 m ·Last eruption: 2023 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Blup Blup
    Distance: 385 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 402 m ·Papua New Guinea
  • Bam
    Distance: 410 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 685 m ·Last eruption: 1960 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Manam
    Distance: 443 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'807 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·Papua New Guinea

Historic earthquake map · Papua New Guinea

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Country statistics · Papua New Guinea

Country overview
View earthquake KPIs, strongest and latest events, and averages for this country.

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