November 17, 1964 Earthquake: New Britain, Papua New Guinea
A magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck New Britain, Papua New Guinea on November 17, 1964 at 08:15:39 UTC, 45 km below the surface. It caused a tsunami.
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
- November 17, 1964
- Time
- 08:15:39 UTC
- Place
- New Britain, Papua New Guinea
- Magnitude
- 7.6 (Ms)
- Focal depth
- 45 km (28 mi)
- Intensity
- 8 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- Yes: the tsunami it caused
- Epicenter
- 5.700° S, 150.700° E
- Country
- Papua New Guinea
The toll
- Damage
- Limited (under about $1 million)
Where the literature gives no number, NCEI records a description on a scale of 1 to 4, printed here in its words. Damage is in millions of US dollars of the year of the event, not adjusted for inflation.
What the record says
NCEI’s account, from the sources it cites.
1964, November 17, 08:15:39.5 UTC, 5.7 S, 150.7 E, depth 45 km, magnitude 7.6 MS. New Britain, felt strongly; damage; intensity VII-VIII at Drina, VI at Pomio and Palmalmal, V-VI
at Karlai. (reference #1040)
1964, November 17, 08:15:39 UTC, 5.7 S, 150.7 E, depth 45 km, magnitude 7.6 MS. (reference #88)
1964, November 17. New Britain. Magnitude 7.6. (reference #1002)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- December 22, 1983, Ulawun, Rabaul, Papua New Guinea
- May 10, 1985, Bialla, Piona, New Britain, Papua New Guinea
- July 18, 2010, New Britain, Papua New Guinea
- December 30, 1990, New Britain, Papua New Guinea
- December 28, 1945, New Britain, Papua New Guinea
- December 12, 1933, Papua New Guinea
- February 2, 1920, New Britain, Papua New Guinea
- November 17, 2000, New Britain, Papua New Guinea
- March 29, 2018, Khatlon, Tajikistan
- May 5, 2015, Papua New Guinea
- October 16, 1987, Kandrian, Kimbte, New Britain, Papua New Guinea
More
Significant earthquakes of 1964The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1964Recent 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 4331.