May 6, 1947 Earthquake: New Britain, Papua New Guinea
A magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck New Britain, Papua New Guinea on May 6, 1947 at 20:30:32 UTC, 33 km below the surface.
Map
Where it struck, with the other significant earthquakes within 200 km. Circles are sized and colored by magnitude; select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Date
- May 6, 1947
- Time
- 20:30:32 UTC
- Place
- New Britain, Papua New Guinea
- Magnitude
- 7.3 (Mw)
- Focal depth
- 33 km (21 mi)
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 6.500° S, 148.500° E
- Country
- Papua New Guinea
The toll
The record gives no deaths, injuries or damage for this earthquake.
What the record says
NCEI’s account, from the sources it cites.
1947, May 6, 20:30:32 UTC, 6.5 S, 148.5 E, shallow depth, magnitude 7.6. (reference #2666)
1947, May 6, 20:30:32 UTC, 7 S, 149 E, magnitude 7.6. (reference #45)
1947, May 6, 20:30:32 UTC, 6.5 S, 148.5 E, 7.3 Mw P&S, 7.5 Ms ABE1, 7.2 mB ABE1, 7.6 UK G&R, 7.6 UK PAS. (reference #9910)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- April 1, 2002, Morobe, Papua New Guinea
- February 8, 1987, Huon Peninsula, Umboi Island, Papua New Guinea
- July 17, 2020, Morobe, Oro, Papua New Guinea
- October 16, 1987, Kandrian, Kimbte, New Britain, Papua New Guinea
- July 5, 1988, Kandrian, Arawe, New Britain, Papua New Guinea
- September 14, 1906, New Britain, Papua New Guinea
- October 11, 1913, Papua New Guinea
- May 12, 1938, Papua New Guinea
- February 2, 1920, New Britain, Papua New Guinea
- 1875, Maclay Coast, Papua New Guinea
- December 28, 1945, New Britain, Papua New Guinea
- October 19, 1899, Bismrack Sea, Papua New Guinea
- September 17, 1900, Rabaul Harbor, Papua New Guinea
- August 2, 1969, Bismarck Sea, Papua New Guinea
- April 17, 1857, Bismarck Sea, Papua New Guinea
More
Significant earthquakes of 1947The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1947Recent earthquakes near hereThis day in weather history
Sources
Significant earthquakes from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, Global Historical Hazard Database, cited as NCEI/WDS, doi:10.7289/V5PN93H7. Public domain. Read 2026-09-24. NCEI earthquake 3853.