Earthquakes in Papua New Guinea Today
Papua New Guinea lies within a tangle of small plates between the Australian and Pacific plates, and the New Britain and Bougainville trenches make it one of the most seismically active countries on Earth. Even moderate earthquakes can set off deadly local tsunamis: in 1998 an Mw 7.0 shock near Aitape triggered an undersea landslide whose waves killed more than 2,000 people.
Danger Level (72h)
72-hour composite hazard forecast
Recent Quakes (30d)
Recorded in the last 30 days
Max Magnitude (30d)
Largest earthquake in the last 30 days
Papua New Guinea is seismically quiet in our catalogue. The tectonic background below explains why, and what would change it.
Madang, Papua New Guinea
9mo ago•103 km•Felt by about 6,982,783 people
Recent earthquakes
18Counts cover the seismic belts this platform monitors in Papua New Guinea, not its administrative borders. A monitored belt can reach across a border, and events there are listed with the country of their epicentre.
Monitored regions
Volcanoes of Papua New Guinea
1 dedicated profiles · 39 Holocene volcanoes in total
Tectonic setting
Papua New Guinea lies within a tangle of small plates between the Australian and Pacific plates, and the New Britain and Bougainville trenches make it one of the most seismically active countries on Earth. Even moderate earthquakes can set off deadly local tsunamis: in 1998 an Mw 7.0 shock near Aitape triggered an undersea landslide whose waves killed more than 2,000 people.
Frequently asked questions
How often do earthquakes occur in Papua New Guinea?
Our catalogue recorded 18 earthquakes across the 1 seismic belts monitored in Papua New Guinea over the last 30 days, the strongest reaching M5.5.
Why are there so many earthquakes in Papua New Guinea?
Papua New Guinea lies within a tangle of small plates between the Australian and Pacific plates, and the New Britain and Bougainville trenches make it one of the most seismically active countries on Earth. Even moderate earthquakes can set off deadly local tsunamis: in 1998 an Mw 7.0 shock near Aitape triggered an undersea landslide whose waves killed more than 2,000 people.
What was the strongest earthquake in Papua New Guinea?
The strongest earthquake in Papua New Guinea in our historical catalogue is the M8.0 event of September 14, 1906.
What is the emergency number in Papua New Guinea?
The emergency number in Papua New Guinea is 112, answered by Police (ambulance 111, fire 110; Port Moresby). After strong shaking, keep the line free for those trapped or injured and check official channels for aftershock and tsunami advisories.
Who monitors earthquakes in Papua New Guinea?
The national seismic authority is Port Moresby Geophysical Observatory (no public website; bulletins via the National Disaster Centre) (PMGO / USGS). EarthquakeLive cross-checks its bulletins against 18 international networks, so an event may appear here with a slightly different magnitude until the agencies converge on a final solution.