
Earthquakes in Papua New Guinea
In Papua New Guinea there are very strong earthquakes with far-reaching consequences. Earthquakes with a magnitude of over 8.0 destroy numerous houses within a radius of several hundred kilometers and are causing great damage and devastation. Measured by the size of the country, earthquakes occur above average, but not excessively often.Since 1950 more than 3300 people died by direct consequences of earthquakes. 29 earthquakes also caused a subsequent tsunami, which claimed further lifes and damages.
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Most recent events
This list includes the strongest earthquakes recorded in or around Papua New Guinea by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in the past 14 days. Whether an event is listed here depends largely on its magnitude, but also on its distance from inhabited areas. All data refer to the local time. This page is updated daily at 11am UTC.- May 8, 5:54 pmMagnitude 4.8: 183 km north of Madang at a depth of 10 km.
- May 6, 1:13 pmMagnitude 4.8: 84 km west-northwest of Kandrian at a depth of 97.54 km.
- May 6, 12:05 amMagnitude 5.1: eastern New Guinea at a depth of 152.87 km.
- May 18, 8:52 pmMagnitude 4.7: 99 km southeast of Kimbe at a depth of 36.93 km.
- May 17, 8:21 pmMagnitude 4.8: 41 km south of Kimbe at a depth of 57.69 km.
- May 17, 5:11 pmMagnitude 4.6: 113 km south-southwest of Abepura, Indonesia at a depth of 108.16 km.
- May 14, 12:25 pmMagnitude 5.1: 110 km west-southwest of Abepura, Indonesia at a depth of 66.13 km.
- May 12, 8:24 amMagnitude 5.1: 76 km south-southwest of Panguna at a depth of 10 km.
- May 10, 8:33 amMagnitude 6.3: 179 km southwest of Lorengau at a depth of 10 km.
- May 10, 10:02 amMagnitude 5.3: 198 km north of Madang at a depth of 10 km.
Earthquakes in Papua New Guinea since 1950

Date | Region | Depth | Magnitude | Deaths | Total damage |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
07/17/2020 | Morobe, Oro | 80 km | 7.0 | 1 | |
05/14/2019 | Rabaul, Duke Of York Is | 10 km | 7.6 | 0 | |
05/06/2019 | Morobe (Wampar) | 127 km | 7.2 | 0 | |
04/07/2018 | Hela | 18 km | 6.3 | 4 | |
03/06/2018 | S Highlands, Hela | 20 km | 6.7 | 25 | |
03/04/2018 | S Highlands | 10 km | 6.0 | 11 | |
02/28/2018 | S Highlands | 16 km | 6.1 | 1 | |
02/25/2018 | S Highlands, Hela; Indonesia | 25 km | 7.5 | 145 | |
01/22/2017 | Bougainville Island | 36 km | 7.9 | 3 | |
12/17/2016 | New Britain New Ireland | 5 km | 7.9 | 0 | |
05/05/2015 | Papua New Guinea | 38 km | 7.5 | 0 | |
03/29/2015 | Papua New Guinea | 1 km | 7.5 | 0 | |
04/19/2014 | Solomon Sea | 21 km | 7.5 | 0 | |
04/11/2014 | Bougainville Island | 13 km | 7.1 | 1 | |
09/09/2005 | New Ireland | 43 km | 7.7 | 0 | |
09/08/2002 | Kairiru Is, Muschu Is, Wewak | 25 km | 7.6 | 4 | |
01/10/2002 | Aitape | 56 km | 6.7 | 1 | |
11/17/2000 | New Britain | 56 km | 7.8 | 0 | |
11/16/2000 | New Ireland, New Britain | 16 km | 7.8 | 0 | |
11/16/2000 | New Ireland, Duke Of York | 55 km | 8.0 | 2 | |
07/17/1998 | Sissano | 16 km | 7.0 | 0 | |
08/16/1995 | Rabaul, Kokopo, New Britain | 28 km | 7.7 | 0 | |
10/13/1993 | Eastern (Upper Markham Valley) | 6.9 | 60 | ||
12/30/1990 | New Britain | 18 km | 7.5 | 0 | |
03/10/1989 | New Britain (Rabaul) | 10 km | 5.4 | 1 | |
09/06/1988 | Kaiapit (Landslide Generated) | 33 km | 4.3 | 74 | |
07/05/1988 | New Britain (Kandrian, Arawe) | 7 km | 6.8 | 0 | |
10/16/1987 | New Britain (Kandrian, Kimbte) | 1 km | 7.7 | 0 | |
10/12/1987 | Solomon Sea | 4 km | 6.8 | 0 | |
02/08/1987 | Huon Peninsula, Umboi Island | 58 km | 7.6 | 3 | |
06/24/1986 | Papua New Guinea | 30 km | 7.1 | 0 | |
07/03/1985 | New Britain (Rabaul) | 51 km | 7.2 | 0 | |
05/10/1985 | New Britain (Bialla, Piona) | 50 km | 7.1 | 1 | |
03/27/1984 | Karkar | 33 km | 6.6 | 0 | |
12/22/1983 | Ulawun, Rabaul | 2 km | 6.4 | 10 | |
03/18/1983 | New Ireland | 50 km | 7.6 | 0 | |
06/25/1979 | E, Mt Hagen | 5 km | 6.2 | 0 | |
08/28/1977 | Admiralty Islands | 5 km | 5.5 | 0 | |
07/20/1975 | Solomon Islands (Buin, Boku) | 27 km | 7.7 | 0 | |
07/20/1975 | Bismarck Sea (Bougainville) | 39 km | 7.9 | 0 | |
08/17/1972 | W. Solomon Sea | 5 km | 7.1 | 0 | |
09/25/1971 | Bismarck Sea | 14 km | 7.0 | 0 | |
07/26/1971 | Bismarck Sea Rabaul | 21 km | 7.9 | 0 | |
07/14/1971 | New Ireland (Bougainville) | 29 km | 7.9 | 2 | |
10/31/1970 | Madang | 7 km | 7.3 | 15 | |
08/02/1969 | Bismarck Sea | 29 km | 5.4 | 0 | |
10/23/1968 | N Coast, Wewak, Dagua | 7.5 | 0 | ||
02/12/1968 | New Ireland | 7.8 | 0 | ||
08/13/1967 | Bismarck Sea | 10 km | 6.4 | 0 | |
11/17/1964 | New Britain | 39 km | 7.6 | 0 | |
06/11/1960 | W. Solomon Sea | 9 km | 6.6 | 0 | |
10/10/1955 | Bismarck Sea | 47 km | 7.3 | 0 | |
04/23/1953 | Solomon Islands | 34 km | 7.4 | 0 | |
02/18/1951 | Papua New Guinea | 0.0 | 3000 |
These statistics are based on datas from the National Geophysical Data Center / World Data Service (NGDC/WDS): Significant Earthquake Database. doi:10.7289/V5TD9V7K. Several data have been summarized and translated.