Back to map

M5.3 Earthquake near 217 km SE of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea

UTC time: 2026-07-30 02:46:24 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
M5.3
Depth
10.0 km
Source
USGS

217 km SE of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea

Map

M5.3 Earthquake near 217 km SE of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea · 2026-07-30 — Map showing the location of the epicenter
M5.3 Earthquake near 217 km SE of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea · 2026-07-30 — Map showing the location of the epicenter

About this earthquake

On July 30, 2026 at 02:46 UTC, a magnitude M5.3 earthquake occurred near 217 km SE of Kokopo, 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 USGS.

Details

ID
d462a490d5dc6957afe8417b7d81b9bd4864afd9
Magnitude
M5.3
Depth
10.0 km
UTC time
2026-07-30 02:46:24 UTC
Local time
—
Country
—
Source
usgs
Coordinates
-5.81120, 153.57970
Temperature
26.1°C

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

Tectonic context

Located on the South Bismarck Plate.
Near the boundary North Bismarck ↔ South Bismarck · about 10 km away

Nearby population centers

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

PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation
Kokopo218.5 kmNW26'273
Port Moresby817.3 kmSW283'733

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Balbi
    Distance: 158 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'715 m ·Papua New Guinea
  • Bagana
    Distance: 182 km ·Lava cone ·Elevation: 1'855 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Billy Mitchell
    Distance: 185 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 1'544 m ·Last eruption: 1580 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Rabaul
    Distance: 232 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 688 m ·Last eruption: 2014 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Takuan Group
    Distance: 235 km ·Compound ·Elevation: 2'210 m ·Papua New Guinea
  • Loloru
    Distance: 239 km ·Compound ·Elevation: 1'887 m ·Last eruption: -1050 ·Papua New Guinea

Comparison of seismic sources

3 sources currently report magnitudes from M4.8 to M5.2.

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

SourceMagnitudeDepthPosition difference
EMSCM4.810.0 km18.1 km
USGSM4.810.0 km18.1 km
GFZM5.290.0 km17.4 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#14
Earlier events M≥4114
Earlier events M≥551
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 UTC127.8 km M6.12025-09-16 16:59:52 UTC48.9 kmPapua New Guinea [Sea] M6.12025-04-12 03:47:09 UTC133.2 km105 km ESE of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea M6.02025-09-16 16:59:51 UTC42.5 kmNEW IRELAND REGION, P.N.G. M6.02025-09-16 16:59:46 UTC48.9 kmNew Ireland Region, Papua New Guinea

Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)
511
Country (24h)
—
—
Current earthquakes in
Magnitude Place Local time
No recent events available.

Share