M5.8 Depth: 14.8 km

M5.8 Earthquake near Papua New Guinea [Sea]

UTC time: 2026-05-08 12:22:34 UTC Local time:

About this earthquake

On May 8, 2026 at 12:22 UTC, a magnitude M5.8 earthquake occurred near Papua New Guinea [Sea]. With a focal depth of about 15 km, this was a shallow earthquake, whose shaking is usually felt more strongly at the surface. Events of this size can cause damage near the epicenter.

The event was recorded by INGV.

Details

Magnitude
M5.8
Depth
14.8 km
UTC time
2026-05-08 12:22:34 UTC
Local time
Country
Source
ingv
Coordinates
-2.93203, 147.73400
Temperature
27.2°C

Map

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 14.8 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 14.8 km
Shallow
14.8 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
Madang333.8 kmSW27'419
Port Moresby730.6 kmS283'733

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Titan Ridge
    Distance: 12 km ·Fissure vent ·Elevation: -1'300 m ·Last eruption: 1972 ·Papua New Guinea
  • St. Andrew Strait
    Distance: 75 km ·Complex ·Elevation: 270 m ·Last eruption: 1957 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Hankow Reef
    Distance: 245 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: -5 m ·Papua New Guinea
  • Karkar
    Distance: 273 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'839 m ·Last eruption: 1979 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Long Island
    Distance: 274 km ·Complex ·Elevation: 1'263 m ·Last eruption: 1993 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Sakar
    Distance: 278 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 947 m ·Papua New Guinea

Subsequent earthquakes nearby

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

First 6 hours5
First 24 hours10
First 72 hours10
Strongest subsequent eventM5.9

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#3
Earlier events M≥428
Earlier events M≥525
Compared since2025-01-21

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

Strongest earlier events

Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)
658
Country (24h)
Current earthquakes in
Magnitude Place Local time
No recent events available.

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