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Papua New Guinea · New Ireland

M4.6 Earthquake near Namatanai District, New Ireland (Papua New Guinea)

UTC time: 2026-10-14 02:12:15 UTC Local time: —
Magnitude
M4.6
Depth
10.0 km
Source
USGS

New Ireland · Namatanai District

Country overview

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About this earthquake

On October 14, 2026 at 02:12 UTC, a magnitude M4.6 earthquake occurred near Namatanai District, New Ireland (Papua New Guinea). The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 10 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: over the past 24 hours, QuakeMap24 logged 2 earthquakes, the strongest at M4.9.

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 (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 North Bismarck Plate.
Near the boundary North Bismarck ↔ South Bismarck · about 11 km away

Volcanoes nearby

  • Rabaul
    Distance: 86 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 688 m ·Last eruption: 2014 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Tavui
    Distance: 89 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 200 m ·Last eruption: -4946 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Ulawun
    Distance: 191 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'334 m ·Last eruption: 2025 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Lolobau
    Distance: 204 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 878 m ·Last eruption: 1912 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Bamus
    Distance: 207 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'248 m ·Last eruption: 1886 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Hargy
    Distance: 227 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'148 m ·Last eruption: 950 ·Papua New Guinea

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

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Country statistics · Papua New Guinea

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View earthquake KPIs, strongest and latest events, and averages for this country.

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