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M5.5 Depth: 10.0 km

M5.5 Earthquake near Bismarck Sea

UTC time: 2026-04-30 13:27:01 UTC Local time: —

About this earthquake

A magnitude M5.5 earthquake was recorded near Bismarck Sea on April 30, 2026 at 13:27 UTC. The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 10 km, increasing how strongly it was felt. Earthquakes of this magnitude can damage poorly built structures.

The event was recorded by GFZ.

Details

Magnitude
M5.5
Depth
10.0 km
UTC time
2026-04-30 13:27:01 UTC
Local time
—
Country
—
Source
gfz
Coordinates
-3.18000, 148.93000
Temperature
27.1°C

Map

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 10 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 10 km
Shallow
10 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

Nearby population centers

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

PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation
Kimbe295.7 kmSE18'847
Port Moresby727.3 kmS283'733

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Titan Ridge
    Distance: 129 km ·Fissure vent ·Elevation: -1'300 m ·Last eruption: 1972 ·Papua New Guinea
  • St. Andrew Strait
    Distance: 197 km ·Complex ·Elevation: 270 m ·Last eruption: 1957 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Dakataua
    Distance: 245 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 408 m ·Last eruption: 1895 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Bola
    Distance: 250 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'116 m ·Papua New Guinea
  • Sakar
    Distance: 265 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 947 m ·Papua New Guinea
  • Langila
    Distance: 267 km ·Complex ·Elevation: 1'330 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·Papua New Guinea

Subsequent earthquakes nearby

Events recorded after this earthquake within 150 km. They are not automatically classified as aftershocks.

First 6 hours1
First 24 hours1
First 72 hours1
Strongest subsequent eventM5.9
M5.02026-04-30 13:27:17 UTC78.4 kmEvent of magnitude 5.0, near Lae (Monde) M4.72026-05-08 12:06:02 UTC120.4 kmADMIRALTY ISLANDS REGION, P.N.G. M5.02026-05-08 12:06:03 UTC113.5 kmAdmiralty Islands Region, Papua New Guinea M5.52026-05-08 12:22:31 UTC129.7 kmAdmiralty Islands Region, Papua New Guinea M5.62026-05-08 12:22:31 UTC136.3 kmADMIRALTY ISLANDS REGION, P.N.G. M5.82026-05-08 12:22:34 UTC135.6 kmPapua New Guinea [Sea] M4.92026-05-08 12:38:37 UTC129.8 kmADMIRALTY ISLANDS REGION, P.N.G. M5.02026-05-08 12:38:39 UTC103.9 kmBismarck Sea M4.92026-05-08 13:02:58 UTC91.7 kmBismarck Sea M4.82026-05-08 13:27:28 UTC103.0 kmBismarck Sea M4.82026-05-08 13:31:23 UTC100.5 kmBismarck Sea M5.02026-05-08 21:18:55 UTC139.6 kmAdmiralty Islands Region, Papua New Guinea

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#5
Earlier events M≥416
Earlier events M≥514
Compared since2025-01-15

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

Strongest earlier events

M6.32025-10-10 02:08:11 UTC108.1 km134 km SE of Lorengau, Papua New Guinea M6.22025-10-10 02:08:11 UTC98.9 kmAdmiralty Islands Region, Papua New Guinea M5.72026-04-30 13:27:00 UTC4.8 kmPapua New Guinea [Sea] M5.52025-10-10 02:08:13 UTC113.0 kmEvent of magnitude 5.5, near of Lae (Monde) M5.52026-03-12 21:58:47 UTC97.8 kmBismarck Sea

Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)
661
Country (24h)
—
—
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