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M5.0 Depth: 66.0 km

M5.0 Earthquake near New Britain Region, Papua New Guinea (Papua New Guinea)

UTC time: 2025-12-29 11:40:09 UTC Local time: —

About this earthquake

On December 29, 2025 at 11:40 UTC, a magnitude M5.0 earthquake occurred near New Britain Region, Papua New Guinea (Papua New Guinea). With a focal depth of about 66 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 event was recorded by GFZ. Papua New Guinea: 3 earthquakes were recorded in the past 24 hours, the strongest reaching M5.0.

Details

Magnitude
M5.0
Depth
66.0 km
UTC time
2025-12-29 11:40:09 UTC
Local time
—
Country
Papua New Guinea
City
East New Britain
Source
gfz
Coordinates
-5.22000, 152.21000
Temperature
24.0°C

Map

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 66 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 66 km
Shallow
66 km
66 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
Kokopo97.7 kmN26'273
Port Moresby731.6 kmSW283'733

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Ulawun
    Distance: 99 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'334 m ·Last eruption: 2025 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Rabaul
    Distance: 108 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 688 m ·Last eruption: 2014 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Bamus
    Distance: 109 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'248 m ·Last eruption: 1886 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Lolobau
    Distance: 121 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 878 m ·Last eruption: 1912 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Hargy
    Distance: 124 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'148 m ·Last eruption: 950 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Tavui
    Distance: 124 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 200 m ·Last eruption: -4946 ·Papua New Guinea

Subsequent earthquakes nearby

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

First 6 hours0
First 24 hours0
First 72 hours0
Strongest subsequent eventM5.1
M4.82026-01-03 22:25:36 UTC108.0 kmNew Britain Region, Papua New Guinea M5.02026-01-03 22:25:37 UTC118.9 km214 km S of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea M4.82026-01-04 01:23:33 UTC25.5 kmNew Britain Region, Papua New Guinea M5.12026-01-04 01:23:35 UTC30.3 kmNEW BRITAIN REGION, P.N.G. M4.52026-01-11 02:54:45 UTC63.3 kmPomio District M4.72026-01-14 08:05:56 UTC141.6 kmNEW IRELAND REGION, P.N.G. M4.72026-01-14 08:05:57 UTC137.7 km193 km SE of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea M5.02026-01-14 08:05:57 UTC147.9 kmNew Ireland Region, Papua New Guinea M5.02026-01-14 08:05:57 UTC146.9 kmNew Ireland region

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#54
Earlier events M≥4209
Earlier events M≥574
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 UTC139.8 km181 km ESE of Kimbe, Papua New Guinea M6.52025-04-04 20:04:39 UTC120.1 km194 km ESE of Kimbe, Papua New Guinea M6.22025-04-12 03:47:13 UTC126.7 km M6.12025-04-12 03:47:09 UTC120.0 km105 km ESE of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea M5.92025-08-07 16:33:59 UTC134.6 kmNew Britain Region, 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.

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