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Papua New Guinea · East New Britain

M6.0 Earthquake near East New Britain (Papua New Guinea)

UTC time: 2026-10-13 18:45:03 UTC Local time: —
Magnitude
M6.0
Depth
20.8 km
Source
USGS

East New Britain · East New Britain

Country overview

Map

M6.0 Earthquake near East New Britain (Papua New Guinea) · 2026-10-13 — Map showing the location of the epicenter
M6.0 Earthquake near East New Britain (Papua New Guinea) · 2026-10-13 — Map showing the location of the epicenter

About this earthquake

On October 13, 2026 at 18:45 UTC, a magnitude M6.0 earthquake occurred near East New Britain (Papua New Guinea). With a focal depth of about 21 km, this was a shallow earthquake, whose shaking is usually felt more strongly at the surface. Events of this size are considered strong and can be dangerous in inhabited regions.

The data is provided by USGS and cross-checked across seismological networks. Papua New Guinea: over the past 24 hours, QuakeMap24 logged 2 earthquakes, the strongest at M4.9.

Details

ID
fa908723c8feb14e857711cdb5955cac7080d259
Magnitude
M6.0
Depth
20.8 km
UTC time
2026-10-13 18:45:03 UTC
Local time
—
Country
Papua New Guinea
State
East New Britain
City
East New Britain
Source
usgs
Coordinates
-5.48320, 152.13640
Temperature
24.5°C

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 20.8 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 20.8 km
Shallow
20.8 km
20.8 km — shallower than the regional average (80.7 km)
Regional average: 80.7 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 55'001
V 5'765

≈ 9 people experienced strong to very strong shaking.

1 Felt reports · max reported intensity 3.4

Ground shaking

VI
Strong · Intensity (MMI) VI
Strongly felt, light building damage possible.

Tectonic context

Located on the South Bismarck Plate.
Near the boundary South Bismarck ↔ Solomon Sea · about 33 km away

Nearby population centers

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

PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation
Kokopo126.0 kmN26'273
Port Moresby708.6 kmSW283'733

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Ulawun
    Distance: 101 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'334 m ·Last eruption: 2025 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Bamus
    Distance: 105 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'248 m ·Last eruption: 1886 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Hargy
    Distance: 116 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'148 m ·Last eruption: 950 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Lolobau
    Distance: 125 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 878 m ·Last eruption: 1912 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Sulu Range
    Distance: 132 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 610 m ·Papua New Guinea
  • Rabaul
    Distance: 138 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 688 m ·Last eruption: 2014 ·Papua New Guinea

Comparison of seismic sources

7 sources currently report magnitudes from M5.2 to M6.2.

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

SourceMagnitudeDepthPosition difference
GFZM5.710.0 km2.1 km
SCEDCM6.020.8 km0.0 km
USGSM6.020.8 km0.0 km
INGVM6.114.8 km5.5 km
RESIFM5.210.0 km24.5 km
EMSCM5.653.0 km8.5 km
ISCM6.246.1 km11.6 km

East New Britain

Context for this earthquake

05 Oct 2025 – 05 Oct 2026 · M ≥ 3.0 · 33 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 250 km.

Magnitude rank#6
Earlier events M≥4274
Earlier events M≥5103
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 UTC112.6 km181 km ESE of Kimbe, Papua New Guinea M6.52025-04-04 20:04:39 UTC92.2 km194 km ESE of Kimbe, Papua New Guinea M6.22025-04-12 03:47:13 UTC146.7 km M6.12025-04-12 03:47:09 UTC141.0 km105 km ESE of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea M5.82026-09-26 14:08:19 UTC124.9 kmNamatanai District

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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