Papua New Guinea earthquakes
33 earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or more were located in Papua New Guinea in the past 30 days: 6 in the past week and 0 in the past 24 hours. The largest: M6.4 49 km NNE of Kainantu, Papua New Guinea, Sep 20, 7:17 PM GMT+10.
From the USGS, checked Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 3:03 PM GMT+10. Times are local to each quake. Outside the United States the catalog is complete from about magnitude 4.5; smaller quakes are listed where a network reported them.
Map
Where every quake below was located in Papua New Guinea. Select one for its page.
Past 30 days
Magnitude 2.5 and up, newest first.
- 5.468 km NNE of Kainantu, Papua New Guinea · 40 hr ago · 116 km deep · felt by 7
- 6.449 km NNE of Kainantu, Papua New Guinea · 44 hr ago · 104 km deep · felt by 30
- 5.1190 km ESE of Kimbe, Papua New Guinea · 5 days ago · 10 km deep
- 4.643 km SE of Madang, Papua New Guinea · 5 days ago · 60 km deep
- 4.7120 km S of Panguna, Papua New Guinea · 7 days ago · 10 km deep
- 4.799 km S of Panguna, Papua New Guinea · 7 days ago · 10 km deep
- 5.068 km NW of Lae, Papua New Guinea · 7 days ago · 121 km deep
- 4.8159 km ESE of Kandrian, Papua New Guinea · 7 days ago · 10 km deep
- 4.597 km NNE of Mount Hagen, Papua New Guinea · 8 days ago · 99 km deep
- 4.390 km NNE of Rabaul, Papua New Guinea · 9 days ago · 367 km deep
- 4.4116 km NW of Arawa, Papua New Guinea · 10 days ago · 313 km deep
- 4.4104 km SSE of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea · 14 days ago · 35 km deep
- 4.327 km ESE of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea · 14 days ago · 66 km deep
- 4.2136 km ESE of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea · 15 days ago · 46 km deep
- 4.1136 km SE of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea · 15 days ago · 35 km deep
- 4.693 km WSW of Panguna, Papua New Guinea · 16 days ago · 10 km deep
- 5.5162 km E of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea · 17 days ago · 109 km deep · felt by 1
- 5.451 km W of Bulolo, Papua New Guinea · 19 days ago · 58 km deep
- 4.5139 km S of Vanimo, Papua New Guinea · 22 days ago · 50 km deep
- 4.5101 km SW of Aitape, Papua New Guinea · 22 days ago · 48 km deep
- 4.487 km S of Panguna, Papua New Guinea · 24 days ago · 10 km deep
- 5.0191 km ESE of Kimbe, Papua New Guinea · 24 days ago · 10 km deep
- 4.5109 km S of Vanimo, Papua New Guinea · 25 days ago · 10 km deep
- 4.1115 km S of Vanimo, Papua New Guinea · 25 days ago · 44 km deep
- 4.539 km NNW of Rabaul, Papua New Guinea · 25 days ago · 267 km deep
- 4.4152 km NW of Panguna, Papua New Guinea · 27 days ago · 198 km deep
- 4.157 km S of Kandrian, Papua New Guinea · 27 days ago · 10 km deep
- 4.592 km S of Panguna, Papua New Guinea · 28 days ago · 130 km deep
- 4.6176 km ESE of Kimbe, Papua New Guinea · 28 days ago · 10 km deep
- 4.4139 km NNW of Finschhafen, Papua New Guinea · 29 days ago · 187 km deep
- 4.778 km S of Panguna, Papua New Guinea · 30 days ago · 10 km deep
- 4.364 km NNW of Lae, Papua New Guinea · 30 days ago · 99 km deep
- 4.498 km SSE of Panguna, Papua New Guinea · 30 days ago · 10 km deep
Largest on record in Papua New Guinea
The 25 largest in the USGS catalog since 1900, of magnitude 5 and up. Older magnitudes are estimates from historical accounts and early instruments.
By year
Every year the USGS catalog covers.
- 2020s2020202120222023202420252026
- 2010s2010201120122013201420152016201720182019
- 2000s2000200120022003200420052006200720082009
- 1990s1990199119921993199419951996199719981999
- 1980s1980198119821983198419851986198719881989
- 1970s1970197119721973197419751976197719781979
- 1960s1960196119621963196419651966196719681969
- 1950s1950195119521953195419551956195719581959
- 1940s1940194119421943194419451946194719481949
- 1930s1930193119321933193419351936193719381939
- 1920s1920192119221923192419251926192719281929
- 1910s1910191119121913191419151916191719181919
- 1900s1900190119021903190419051906190719081909
What this means
Magnitude measures the energy a quake releases: each step up is about 32 times more energy, so an M6 releases about a thousand times the energy of an M4. Intensity measures the shaking at one place, which depends on the distance, the depth and the ground. One quake has one magnitude and many intensities.
| Intensity | Shaking | What people notice |
|---|---|---|
| I | Not felt | Recorded by instruments only. |
| II to III | Weak | Felt by a few people at rest, mostly on upper floors; hanging objects may swing. |
| IV | Light | Felt indoors by many. Dishes, windows and doors rattle; like a heavy truck passing. |
| V | Moderate | Felt by nearly everyone; sleepers wake. Some dishes break and unstable objects tip over. |
| VI | Strong | Felt by all; heavy furniture moves, plaster cracks. Damage is slight. |
| VII | Very strong | Damage slight to moderate in ordinary buildings, considerable in poorly built ones. |
| VIII | Severe | Considerable damage in ordinary buildings, with partial collapse; chimneys and walls fall. |
| IX and up | Violent to extreme | Heavy damage even in well-designed buildings; many shifted off foundations. |
Did I just feel an earthquake?
A quake appears in these lists within minutes: a few for the US, up to twenty for a quake abroad. Search your town above, or open your state. If it was a quake, tell the USGS through its Did You Feel It? form. If shaking starts: drop, cover and hold on; stay indoors until it stops; near the coast, move to high ground after strong or long shaking without waiting for a warning.
Sources
Earthquakes, magnitudes, depths, shaking estimates and felt reports from the U.S. Geological Survey Earthquake Hazards Program, read from its live feeds and its catalog back to 1900. Tsunami messages from NOAA’s tsunami warning centers.