December 30, 1990 Earthquake: New Britain, Papua New Guinea
A magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck New Britain, Papua New Guinea on December 30, 1990 at 19:14:18 UTC, 179 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
- December 30, 1990
- Time
- 19:14:18 UTC
- Place
- New Britain, Papua New Guinea
- Magnitude
- 7.5 (Mw)
- Focal depth
- 179 km (111 mi)
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 5.097° S, 150.967° 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.
Some damage in the Hoskins area. Felt at Port Moresby and many ports of Papua New Guinea. Two events about 6 seconds apart. (reference #1053)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- May 28, 1937, Keravia, Rabaul, Kokopo, Papua New Guinea
- December 22, 1983, Ulawun, Rabaul, Papua New Guinea
- January 13, 1941, Bismarck Sea, Papua New Guinea
- November 16, 2000, New Ireland, Duke of York, Papua New Guinea
- May 10, 1985, Bialla, Piona, New Britain, Papua New Guinea
- February 4, 1878, Bismarck Sea, Papua New Guinea
- December 12, 1933, Papua New Guinea
- November 17, 1964, New Britain, Papua New Guinea
- November 17, 2000, New Britain, Papua New Guinea
- July 18, 2010, New Britain, Papua New Guinea
- May 5, 2015, Papua New Guinea
- March 29, 2018, Khatlon, Tajikistan
- December 28, 1945, New Britain, Papua New Guinea
- September 10, 1900, Bismarck Sea, Papua New Guinea
- December 12, 1934, Rabaul, New Britain, Papua New Guinea
More
Significant earthquakes of 1990The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1990Recent 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 8958.