M5.8 earthquake 112 km ESE of Kimbe, Papua New Guinea

A magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck 112 km ESE of Kimbe, Papua New Guinea on Wed, Jul 28, 1971, 9:35 AM GMT+10 (23:35 UTC), 23 km (14 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M6.3 180 km ESE of Kimbe, Papua New Guinea. This one was a foreshock.

Kimbe forecast More in Papua New Guinea

Map

Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.

Open the live map with earthquakes

The earthquake

Magnitude: 5.8 (mw), moderate
Local time: Wed, Jul 28, 1971, 9:35 AM GMT+10
UTC: 1971-07-27 23:35:21 UTC
Depth: 22.5 km (14.0 mi), shallow
Epicenter: 6.099° S, 150.991° E
Region: Papua New Guinea
Strongest shaking: IV, light shaking
Tsunami flag: No
Status: Reviewed by a seismologist

Shaking

The USGS ShakeMap: shaking estimated from seismic stations and the quake’s size, on the Modified Mercalli intensity scale.

Strongest estimated: IV, light shaking
Peak ground acceleration: 4.3% of gravity
Peak ground velocity: 1.0 cm/s
Map: Automatic

USGS ShakeMap: estimated shaking intensity around the epicenter — Estimated shaking intensity. Map: USGS ShakeMap.

Did you feel it?

No one has reported feeling this quake to the USGS.

How well it is located

Reviewed by a seismologist.

Magnitude uncertainty: ±0.20
Depth from: From location

Nearest places

Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 2.5 and up: 2 in the 60 days after this one and 8 in the 30 days before it.

After

Before

Earthquakes today Papua New Guinea earthquakes Live radar here

Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event iscgem782884. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 12:13 PM UTC.