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Papua New Guinea · New Ireland

M5.8 Earthquake near New Ireland (Papua New Guinea)

UTC time: 2026-11-12 22:04:07 UTC Local time: —
Earthquake newsQuakeMap24
First published: Content updated:

Automatically generated from measurement data by QuakeMap24. Values may change after further analysis.

Map

M5.8 Earthquake near New Ireland (Papua New Guinea) · 2026-11-12 — Map showing the location of the epicenter
M5.8 Earthquake near New Ireland (Papua New Guinea) · 2026-11-12 — Map showing the location of the epicenter

About this earthquake

A magnitude M5.8 earthquake was recorded near New Ireland (Papua New Guinea) on November 12, 2026 at 22:04 UTC. 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 data is provided by USGS and cross-checked across seismological networks.

Details

ID
ee5dd78924d1afdc08f33b79b56ec184bfe59d75
Magnitude
M5.8
Depth
10.0 km
UTC time
2026-11-12 22:04:07 UTC
Local time
—
Country
Papua New Guinea
State
New Ireland
City
New Ireland
Source
usgs
Coordinates
-1.58820, 149.88770
Temperature
27.5°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
10 km — shallower than the regional average (80.3 km)
Regional average: 80.3 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

Estimated impact

Green No or minimal impact expected.
Estimated population exposed
IV 12'859
V 5'633
VI 1'923
VII 1'614

≈ 3'537 people experienced strong to very strong shaking.

Ground shaking

VII
Very strong · Intensity (MMI) VII
Moderate damage possible.

Tectonic context

Located on the North Bismarck Plate.
Near the boundary Pacific ↔ North Bismarck · about 64 km away

Nearby population centers

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

PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation
Kokopo418.6 kmSE26'273
Port Moresby954.2 kmS283'733

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Titan Ridge
    Distance: 284 km ·Fissure vent ·Elevation: -1'300 m ·Last eruption: 1972 ·Papua New Guinea
  • St. Andrew Strait
    Distance: 295 km ·Complex ·Elevation: 270 m ·Last eruption: 1957 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Tavui
    Distance: 381 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 200 m ·Last eruption: -4946 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Dakataua
    Distance: 385 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 408 m ·Last eruption: 1895 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Rabaul
    Distance: 391 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 688 m ·Last eruption: 2014 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Bola
    Distance: 395 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'116 m ·Papua New Guinea

Comparison of seismic sources

7 sources currently report magnitudes from M5.8 to M6.0.

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

SourceMagnitudeDepthPosition difference
GFZM5.910.0 km28.0 km
ISCM6.010.0 km23.6 km
USGSM5.810.0 km0.0 km
EMSCM6.026.0 km26.2 km
INGVM6.010.9 km14.1 km
GAM6.025.8 km1.1 km
BMKGM5.981.0 km10.8 km

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

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#2
Earlier events M≥416
Earlier events M≥512
Compared since2025-01-20

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

Strongest earlier events

M6.92026-07-13 08:53:28 UTC246.4 kmManus M5.72026-04-30 13:27:00 UTC235.1 kmPapua New Guinea [Sea] M5.52026-04-30 13:27:01 UTC232.2 kmBismarck Sea M5.52026-03-12 21:58:47 UTC223.8 kmBismarck Sea M5.32025-01-21 20:00:51 UTC247.8 km173 km SE of Lorengau, 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)
727
Country (24h)
Papua New Guinea
1
Current earthquakes in
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No recent events available.

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