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M5.5 Depth: 10.0 km

M5.5 Earthquake near NEW BRITAIN REGION, P.N.G. (Papua New Guinea)

UTC time: 2025-12-21 23:07:27 UTC Local time: —

About this earthquake

A magnitude M5.5 earthquake was recorded near NEW BRITAIN REGION, P.N.G. (Papua New Guinea) on December 21, 2025 at 23:07 UTC. The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 10 km, increasing how strongly it was felt. Earthquakes of this magnitude can damage poorly built structures.

The data is provided by EMSC and cross-checked across seismological networks. Papua New Guinea: over the past 24 hours, QuakeMap24 logged 3 earthquakes, the strongest at M5.0.

Details

Magnitude
M5.5
Depth
10.0 km
UTC time
2025-12-21 23:07:27 UTC
Local time
—
Country
Papua New Guinea
City
East New Britain
Source
emsc
Coordinates
-5.42400, 151.71900
Temperature
27.0°C

Map

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 (84.9 km)
Regional average: 84.9 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
Kokopo134.7 kmNE26'273
Port Moresby675.8 kmSW283'733

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Bamus
    Distance: 60 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'248 m ·Last eruption: 1886 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Ulawun
    Distance: 60 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'334 m ·Last eruption: 2025 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Hargy
    Distance: 69 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'148 m ·Last eruption: 950 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Lolobau
    Distance: 84 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 878 m ·Last eruption: 1912 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Sulu Range
    Distance: 86 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 610 m ·Papua New Guinea
  • Lolo
    Distance: 134 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 796 m ·Papua New Guinea

Subsequent earthquakes nearby

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

First 6 hours2
First 24 hours3
First 72 hours3
Strongest subsequent eventM5.4
M5.42025-12-21 23:07:28 UTC15.5 kmNew Britain Region, Papua New Guinea M5.22025-12-21 23:07:28 UTC37.9 kmEvent of magnitude 5.2, near of Port Moresby (Monde) M4.92025-12-22 14:00:23 UTC87.4 kmNew Britain Region, Papua New Guinea M5.12025-12-29 11:40:02 UTC83.2 km115 km S of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea M5.12025-12-29 11:40:02 UTC95.3 kmEvent of magnitude 5.1, near of Port Moresby (Monde) M5.02025-12-29 11:40:09 UTC58.9 kmNew Britain Region, Papua New Guinea M5.12025-12-29 11:40:09 UTC58.8 kmNEW BRITAIN REGION, P.N.G. M4.82026-01-03 22:25:36 UTC104.1 kmNew Britain Region, Papua New Guinea M5.02026-01-03 22:25:37 UTC119.0 km214 km S of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea M4.82026-01-04 01:23:33 UTC36.1 kmNew Britain Region, Papua New Guinea M5.12026-01-04 01:23:35 UTC45.1 kmNEW BRITAIN REGION, P.N.G. M4.52026-01-11 02:54:45 UTC4.4 kmPomio District

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#6
Earlier events M≥4209
Earlier events M≥564
Compared since2025-01-01

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

Strongest earlier events

M6.92025-04-04 20:04:38 UTC100.3 km181 km ESE of Kimbe, Papua New Guinea M6.52025-04-04 20:04:39 UTC87.0 km194 km ESE of Kimbe, Papua New Guinea M5.82025-06-23 03:17:13 UTC134.4 kmNew Britain Region, Papua New Guinea M5.72025-12-21 05:25:23 UTC42.5 kmNew Britain Region, Papua New Guinea M5.52025-04-12 03:47:24 UTC121.8 kmNew Ireland

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.

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