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Papua New Guinea · West New Britain

M5.1 Earthquake near West New Britain (Papua New Guinea)

UTC time: 2026-10-30 03:04:17 UTC Local time: —
Earthquake newsQuakeMap24
First published: Content updated:

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

Magnitude
M5.1
Depth
116.3 km
Source
USGS

West New Britain · West New Britain

Country overview

Map

M5.1 Earthquake near West New Britain (Papua New Guinea) · 2026-10-30 — Map showing the location of the epicenter
M5.1 Earthquake near West New Britain (Papua New Guinea) · 2026-10-30 — Map showing the location of the epicenter

About this earthquake

On October 30, 2026 at 03:04 UTC, a magnitude M5.1 earthquake occurred near West New Britain (Papua New Guinea). The earthquake originated at an intermediate depth of about 116 km. Earthquakes of this magnitude can damage poorly built structures.

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

Details

ID
b0e0ff5b060b2b3a606a397abadcc3478995e1ca
Magnitude
M5.1
Depth
116.3 km
UTC time
2026-10-30 03:04:17 UTC
Local time
—
Country
Papua New Guinea
State
West New Britain
City
West New Britain
Source
usgs
Coordinates
-5.81370, 148.31510
Temperature
27.9°C

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 116.3 km (Intermediate) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 116.3 km
Intermediate
116.3 km
116.3 km — deeper than the regional average (80.3 km)
Regional average: 80.3 km
Why depth matters

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

Depth classes per USGS

Tectonic context

Located on the South Bismarck Plate.
Near the boundary South Bismarck ↔ Woodlark · about 167 km away

Nearby population centers

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

PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation
Lae177.4 kmSW76'255
Port Moresby427.1 kmS283'733

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Langila Activity reported
    Distance: 34 km ·Complex ·Elevation: 1'330 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Ritter Island
    Distance: 40 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 75 m ·Last eruption: 2007 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Sakar
    Distance: 52 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 947 m ·Papua New Guinea
  • Umboi
    Distance: 53 km ·Complex ·Elevation: 1'335 m ·Papua New Guinea
  • Long Island
    Distance: 145 km ·Complex ·Elevation: 1'263 m ·Last eruption: 1993 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Krummel-Garbuna-Welcker
    Distance: 195 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 564 m ·Last eruption: 2008 ·Papua New Guinea

Comparison of seismic sources

4 sources currently report magnitudes from M4.9 to M5.1.

Measurements can differ because agencies use different networks and calculation methods. Values may be revised.

SourceMagnitudeDepthPosition difference
EMSCM5.1116.3 km0.0 km
USGSM5.1116.3 km0.0 km
GFZM4.9122.0 km10.2 km
GAM5.0114.2 km16.9 km

West New Britain

Context for this earthquake

05 Oct 2025 – 05 Oct 2026 · M ≥ 3.0 · 32 Catalogue entries

Sufficiently reliable matching data are not currently available for a direct comparison. The area profile shows the available records and their limitations.

Open seismic profile

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#28
Earlier events M≥4135
Earlier events M≥552
Compared since2025-01-12

The QuakeMap24 comparison dataset begins on 2024-03-23. Earlier earthquakes may not be included.

Strongest earlier events

M5.72026-01-05 00:41:48 UTC101.7 kmEvent of magnitude 5.7, near of Lae (Monde) M5.72025-06-19 16:37:40 UTC72.5 kmPapua New Guinea Region M5.52026-10-25 03:29:12 UTC138.6 kmKabwum District M5.52026-01-05 00:42:04 UTC78.8 kmPapua New Guinea Region M5.52025-06-19 16:37:42 UTC68.3 kmEASTERN NEW GUINEA REG., P.N.G.

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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