Back to map
Papua New Guinea · New Ireland

M4.9 Earthquake near Namatanai District, New Ireland (Papua New Guinea)

UTC time: 2026-10-06 08:45:27 UTC Local time: —
Magnitude
M4.9
Depth
20.6 km
Source
USGS

New Ireland · Namatanai District

Country overview

Map

About this earthquake

On October 6, 2026 at 08:45 UTC, a magnitude M4.9 earthquake occurred near Namatanai District, New Ireland (Papua New Guinea). The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 21 km, increasing how strongly it was felt. Earthquakes of this magnitude are clearly felt; minor damage to vulnerable buildings is possible.

The data is provided by USGS and cross-checked across seismological networks. Papua New Guinea: 2 earthquakes were recorded in the past 24 hours, the strongest reaching M4.9.

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 20.6 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 20.6 km
Shallow
20.6 km
20.6 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 North Bismarck ↔ South Bismarck · about 9 km away

Volcanoes nearby

  • Rabaul
    Distance: 67 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 688 m ·Last eruption: 2014 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Tavui
    Distance: 72 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 200 m ·Last eruption: -4946 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Ulawun
    Distance: 170 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'334 m ·Last eruption: 2025 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Lolobau
    Distance: 183 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 878 m ·Last eruption: 1912 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Bamus
    Distance: 187 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'248 m ·Last eruption: 1886 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Hargy
    Distance: 206 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'148 m ·Last eruption: 950 ·Papua New Guinea

Radius · 50 km

Nearby infrastructure

Up to 3 nearest sites per category

Airports

  • Tokua AirportPapua New Guinea · RAB · AYTK
    43.9 kmStraight-line distance

Source: OurAirports · Dataset date: 2026-10-05

This selection shows geographic proximity, not a hazard zone or confirmed impacts. Distances use recorded site coordinates. Sources & data dates

New Ireland

Context for this earthquake

05 Oct 2025 – 05 Oct 2026 · M ≥ 3.0 · 34 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

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.

Share