M6.6 Depth: 10.0 km

M6.6 Earthquake near Near North Coast of Papua New Guinea (Papua New Guinea)

UTC time: 2025-05-20 15:06:02 UTC Local time: —

About this earthquake

On May 20, 2025 at 15:06 UTC, a magnitude M6.6 earthquake occurred near Near North Coast of Papua New Guinea (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 can cause significant damage in populated areas.

The event was recorded by GFZ.

Details

Magnitude

M6.6

Depth

10.0 km

UTC time

2025-05-20 15:06:02 UTC

Local time

—

Country

Papua New Guinea

City

East Sepik

Source

gfz

Coordinates

-3.56000, 144.84000

Temperature

28.2°C

Map

Depth profile

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

Wewak134.0 kmW18'230

Jayapura471.7 kmW410'852

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

Bam

Distance: 6 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 685 m ·Last eruption: 1960 ·Papua New Guinea
Blup Blup

Distance: 27 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 402 m ·Papua New Guinea
Kadovar

Distance: 28 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 365 m ·Last eruption: 2023 ·Papua New Guinea
Manam

Distance: 62 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'807 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·Papua New Guinea
Karkar

Distance: 175 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'839 m ·Last eruption: 1979 ·Papua New Guinea
Hankow Reef

Distance: 255 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: -5 m ·Papua New Guinea

Subsequent earthquakes nearby

Events recorded after this earthquake within 250 km. They are not automatically classified as aftershocks.

First 6 hours1

First 24 hours1

First 72 hours4

Strongest subsequent eventM6.6

M6.62025-05-20 15:06:04 UTC14.6 km116 km NE of Angoram, Papua New Guinea M4.62025-05-22 05:41:39 UTC210.3 km27 km NE of Ambunti, Papua New Guinea M4.92025-05-22 05:41:39 UTC220.7 kmNew Guinea, Papua New Guinea M4.62025-05-22 05:41:39 UTC215.7 kmNEW GUINEA, PAPUA NEW GUINEA

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 250 km.

Magnitude rank#1

Earlier events M≥424

Earlier events M≥55

Compared since2025-01-03

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

Strongest earlier events

M6.62025-05-20 15:05:59 UTC9.4 km111 km NE of Angoram, Papua New Guinea M6.42025-05-20 15:05:58 UTC33.3 kmNEAR N COAST OF NEW GUINEA, PNG. M5.12025-05-17 00:45:41 UTC70.3 kmNear North Coast of Papua New Guinea M5.12025-05-17 00:45:38 UTC56.8 kmNEAR N COAST OF NEW GUINEA, PNG. M5.12025-05-03 16:21:11 UTC142.9 kmNear North Coast of 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.

Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)

654

Country (24h)