September 25, 1971 Earthquake: Bismarck Sea, Papua New Guinea
A magnitude 7 earthquake struck Bismarck Sea, Papua New Guinea on September 25, 1971 at 04:36:14 UTC, 115 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
- September 25, 1971
- Time
- 04:36:14 UTC
- Place
- Bismarck Sea, Papua New Guinea
- Magnitude
- 7 (Ms)
- Focal depth
- 115 km (71 mi)
- Intensity
- 7 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- Yes: the tsunami it caused
- Epicenter
- 6.500° S, 146.600° 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.
An earthquake alarmed the population of Lae (New Guinea) which was near the epicenter. Because the hypocenter was at a depth of about 115 km, the intensity of the shock was not very high and structures were not damaged. The 30,000 km2 region near Lae experienced tremors at an intensity of 6 points (MM). In Garain, about 130 km southeast of the epicenter, a steel-frame steel-sheet-covered tea plant suffered light damaged. Here, the intensity was local in character and reached 7 points in places. This earthquake was felt in Port Moresby at an intensity of 3 points. (reference #417)
Felt (VII) in the Popondetta area. (reference #1053)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- September 6, 1988, Kaiapit (Landslide Generated), Papua New Guinea
- October 13, 1993, Upper Markham Valley, Eastern, Papua New Guinea
- April 1, 2002, Morobe, Papua New Guinea
- September 10, 2022, Morobe, Eastern Highlands, Papua New Guinea
- February 8, 1987, Huon Peninsula, Umboi Island, Papua New Guinea
- July 17, 2020, Morobe, Oro, Papua New Guinea
- August 2, 1969, Bismarck Sea, Papua New Guinea
- May 6, 2019, Wampar, Morobe, Papua New Guinea
- 1875, Maclay Coast, Papua New Guinea
- February 17, 1951, Papua New Guinea
- October 7, 2023, Madang, Papua New Guinea
- April 17, 1857, Bismarck Sea, Papua New Guinea
- 1873, Maclay Coast, Papua New Guinea
- May 12, 1938, Papua New Guinea
- October 11, 1913, Papua New Guinea
More
Significant earthquakes of 1971The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1971Recent 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 6437.