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M5.2 Depth: 10.0 km

M5.2 Earthquake near Buka District, Autonomous Region of Bougainville (Papua New Guinea)

UTC time: 2026-01-29 20:28:16 UTC Local time: —

About this earthquake

On January 29, 2026 at 20:28 UTC, a magnitude M5.2 earthquake occurred near Buka District, Autonomous Region of Bougainville (Papua New Guinea). With a focal depth of about 10 km, this was a shallow earthquake, whose shaking is usually felt more strongly at the surface. Earthquakes of this magnitude can damage poorly built structures.

The event was recorded by RESIF. Papua New Guinea: 4 earthquakes were recorded in the past 24 hours, the strongest reaching M5.0.

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
10 km — shallower than the regional average (85 km)
Regional average: 85 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
Arawa190.4 kmSE40'266
Port Moresby909.3 kmSW283'733

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Balbi
    Distance: 120 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'715 m ·Papua New Guinea
  • Billy Mitchell
    Distance: 151 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 1'544 m ·Last eruption: 1580 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Bagana
    Distance: 152 km ·Lava cone ·Elevation: 1'855 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Takuan Group
    Distance: 209 km ·Compound ·Elevation: 2'210 m ·Papua New Guinea
  • Loloru
    Distance: 216 km ·Compound ·Elevation: 1'887 m ·Last eruption: -1050 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Rabaul
    Distance: 245 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 688 m ·Last eruption: 2014 ·Papua New Guinea

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#16
Earlier events M≥467
Earlier events M≥524
Compared since2025-01-12

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 UTC118.7 km M6.12025-09-16 16:59:52 UTC48.7 kmPapua New Guinea [Sea] M6.12025-04-12 03:47:09 UTC127.8 km105 km ESE of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea M6.02025-09-16 16:59:51 UTC56.1 kmNEW IRELAND REGION, P.N.G. M6.02025-09-16 16:59:46 UTC52.1 kmNew Ireland Region, Papua New Guinea

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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