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Papua New Guinea · East New Britain

M5.3 Earthquake near Bain, East New Britain (Papua New Guinea)

UTC time: 2026-10-13 14:36:11 UTC Local time: —

Map

M5.3 Earthquake near Bain, East New Britain (Papua New Guinea) · 2026-10-13 — Map showing the location of the epicenter
M5.3 Earthquake near Bain, East New Britain (Papua New Guinea) · 2026-10-13 — Map showing the location of the epicenter

About this earthquake

A magnitude M5.3 earthquake was recorded near Bain, East New Britain (Papua New Guinea) on October 13, 2026 at 14:36 UTC. The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 19 km, increasing how strongly it was felt. Earthquakes of this magnitude can damage poorly built structures.

The event was recorded by USGS. Papua New Guinea: 2 earthquakes were recorded in the past 24 hours, the strongest reaching M4.9.

Details

ID
b52ab8589ff18885596fe06ba6c78d8cbbc65df3
Magnitude
M5.3
Depth
18.5 km
UTC time
2026-10-13 14:36:11 UTC
Local time
—
Country
Papua New Guinea
State
East New Britain
City
Bain
County
Pomio District
Village
Bain
Source
usgs
Coordinates
-5.44480, 152.12550
Temperature
24.6°C

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 18.5 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 18.5 km
Shallow
18.5 km
18.5 km — shallower than the regional average (80.7 km)
Regional average: 80.7 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 ↔ Solomon Sea · about 37 km away

Nearby population centers

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

PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation
Kokopo128.3 kmN26'273
Port Moresby710.6 kmSW283'733

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Ulawun
    Distance: 98 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'334 m ·Last eruption: 2025 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Bamus
    Distance: 103 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'248 m ·Last eruption: 1886 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Hargy
    Distance: 114 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'148 m ·Last eruption: 950 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Lolobau
    Distance: 122 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 878 m ·Last eruption: 1912 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Sulu Range
    Distance: 131 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 610 m ·Papua New Guinea
  • Rabaul
    Distance: 134 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 688 m ·Last eruption: 2014 ·Papua New Guinea

Comparison of seismic sources

3 sources currently report magnitudes from M5.1 to M5.3.

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

SourceMagnitudeDepthPosition difference
USGSM5.318.5 km0.0 km
EMSCM5.110.0 km9.3 km
GFZM5.110.0 km9.4 km

East New Britain

Context for this earthquake

05 Oct 2025 – 05 Oct 2026 · M ≥ 3.0 · 33 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#44
Earlier events M≥4270
Earlier events M≥5100
Compared since2025-01-01

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

Strongest earlier events

M6.92025-04-04 20:04:38 UTC113.0 km181 km ESE of Kimbe, Papua New Guinea M6.52025-04-04 20:04:39 UTC92.1 km194 km ESE of Kimbe, Papua New Guinea M6.22025-04-12 03:47:13 UTC144.4 km M6.12025-04-12 03:47:09 UTC139.0 km105 km ESE of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea M5.82026-09-26 14:08:19 UTC124.2 kmNamatanai District

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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