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M5.1 Earthquake near 183 km SE of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea

UTC time: 2026-08-20 18:25:20 UTC Local time: —
Earthquake newsQuakeMap24
Archive record · original publication time was not recorded

Automatically generated from measurement data by QuakeMap24. Values may change after further analysis. How our reports are produced ↗

Magnitude
M5.1
Depth
35.0 km
Source
USGS

183 km SE of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea

Map

M5.1 Earthquake near 183 km SE of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea · 2026-08-20 — Map showing the location of the epicenter
M5.1 Earthquake near 183 km SE of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea · 2026-08-20 — Map showing the location of the epicenter

About this earthquake

On August 20, 2026 at 18:25 UTC, a magnitude M5.1 earthquake occurred near 183 km SE of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea. The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 35 km, increasing how strongly it was felt. Earthquakes of this magnitude can damage poorly built structures.

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

Details

ID
b787256057a8eacf599e7532ce7f7212bf079259
Magnitude
M5.1
Depth
35.0 km
UTC time
2026-08-20 18:25:20 UTC
Local time
—
Country
—
Source
usgs
Coordinates
-5.37090, 153.56310
Temperature
26.8°C

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 35 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 35 km
Shallow
35 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 North Bismarck Plate.
Near the boundary North Bismarck ↔ South Bismarck · about 15 km away

Nearby population centers

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

PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation
Kokopo183.4 kmNW26'273
Port Moresby841.5 kmSW283'733

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Balbi
    Distance: 170 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'715 m ·Papua New Guinea
  • Rabaul
    Distance: 197 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 688 m ·Last eruption: 2014 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Bagana
    Distance: 200 km ·Lava cone ·Elevation: 1'855 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Billy Mitchell
    Distance: 201 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 1'544 m ·Last eruption: 1580 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Tavui
    Distance: 205 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 200 m ·Last eruption: -4946 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Ulawun
    Distance: 250 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'334 m ·Last eruption: 2025 ·Papua New Guinea

Comparison of seismic sources

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

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

SourceMagnitudeDepthPosition difference
EMSCM5.135.0 km0.0 km
USGSM5.135.0 km0.0 km

No unambiguous area assignment

Context for this earthquake

This event has no unambiguous country assignment in the analysed catalogue. It is therefore not assigned to a regional profile.

Earthquake overview

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#35
Earlier events M≥4131
Earlier events M≥558
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 UTC81.6 km M6.12025-09-16 16:59:52 UTC28.1 kmPapua New Guinea [Sea] M6.12025-04-12 03:47:09 UTC88.1 km105 km ESE of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea M6.02025-09-16 16:59:51 UTC23.6 kmNEW IRELAND REGION, P.N.G. M6.02025-09-16 16:59:46 UTC22.2 kmNew Ireland Region, Papua New Guinea

Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)
512
Country (24h)
—
—
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