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Papua New Guinea · Sandaun

M4.2 Earthquake near Aitape District, Sandaun (Papua New Guinea)

UTC time: 2026-06-16 16:18:30 UTC Local time: —

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About this earthquake

On June 16, 2026 at 16:18 UTC, a magnitude M4.2 earthquake occurred near Aitape District, Sandaun (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 event was recorded by EMSC.

Details

ID
f356a272d2a0d6f492a7a15951dda30178c7411d
Magnitude
M4.2
Depth
10.0 km
UTC time
2026-06-16 16:18:30 UTC
Local time
—
Country
Papua New Guinea
State
Sandaun
City
Aitape District
County
Aitape District
Source
emsc
Coordinates
-3.19000, 142.68000
Temperature
25.9°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 (80.5 km)
Regional average: 80.5 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

Volcanoes nearby

  • Blup Blup
    Distance: 217 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 402 m ·Papua New Guinea
  • Kadovar
    Distance: 217 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 365 m ·Last eruption: 2023 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Bam
    Distance: 242 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 685 m ·Last eruption: 1960 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Manam
    Distance: 280 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'807 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Karkar
    Distance: 400 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'839 m ·Last eruption: 1979 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Hankow Reef
    Distance: 486 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: -5 m ·Papua New Guinea

Sandaun

Context for this earthquake

05 Oct 2025 – 05 Oct 2026 · M ≥ 3.0 · 50 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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