In the evening of Sunday November 12th, 2023, a shallow and significant MAG-5.2 foreshock hit in the Bismarck Sea 146 kilometer from Kokopo, Papua New Guinea.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the Bismarck Sea, 68 kilometers (42 mi) off the coast of Papua New Guinea, 146 kilometer west-northwest of Kokopo in East New Britain. The center of this earthquake had a very shallow depth of 10 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.
| Date and Time: | Nov 12, 2023 19:48 (Port Moresby Time) - Nov 12, 2023 09:48 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 146 km WNW of Kokopo, East New Britain, Papua New Guinea. Coordinates 3°45'48"S 151°5'7"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.2 Detected by 17 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.075 . |
| Depth: | 10 km (6 mi) A very shallow depth. |
| Tsunami Risk: | Low tsunami risk Earthquakes under MAG-6.5 do not usually cause tsunami's. Always stay cautious - More info here. |
Nearby towns and cities
This earthquake may have been felt in Papua New Guinea . Kokopo in East New Britain, Papua New Guinea is the nearest significant place from the epicenter. The earthquake occurred 146 kilometer (91 mi) west-northwest of Kokopo.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 146 km (91 mi) ESE from epicenter |
Kokopo East New Britain, Papua New Guinea. |
| 225 km (140 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Kimbe West New Britain, Papua New Guinea. |
This is likely a foreshock
This earthquake was followed by a stronger MAG-6.1 earthquake, classifying this earthquake as a foreshock.
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreshock | M 4.9 |
1 day earlier Nov 12, 2023 14:47 (Port Moresby Time) | 32 km (20 mi) ENE from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 5.9 |
1 day earlier Nov 12, 2023 14:51 (Port Moresby Time) | 51 km (32 mi) NE from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 5.5 |
1 day earlier Nov 12, 2023 15:54 (Port Moresby Time) | 26 km (16 mi) ENE from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 5.0 |
1 day earlier Nov 12, 2023 16:02 (Port Moresby Time) | 22 km (13 mi) ENE from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 5.2 |
1 day earlier Nov 12, 2023 16:12 (Port Moresby Time) | 22 km (13 mi) E from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 4.9 |
1 day earlier Nov 12, 2023 16:25 (Port Moresby Time) | 49 km (30 mi) ESE from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 4.9 |
1 day earlier Nov 12, 2023 16:59 (Port Moresby Time) | 43 km (26 mi) ESE from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 4.8 |
24 hrs earlier Nov 12, 2023 18:01 (Port Moresby Time) | 58 km (36 mi) ENE from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 4.9 |
23 hrs earlier Nov 12, 2023 18:53 (Port Moresby Time) | 60 km (37 mi) ENE from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock This Earthquake |
M 5.2 |
22 hrs earlier Nov 12, 2023 19:48 (Port Moresby Time) | 22 km (13 mi) NE from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 4.3 |
14 hrs earlier Nov 13, 2023 03:44 (Port Moresby Time) | 24 km (15 mi) NE from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 4.6 |
14 hrs earlier Nov 13, 2023 04:10 (Port Moresby Time) | 45 km (28 mi) N from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 4.5 |
12 hrs earlier Nov 13, 2023 05:45 (Port Moresby Time) | 16 km (10 mi) E from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 4.6 |
11 hrs earlier Nov 13, 2023 06:41 (Port Moresby Time) | 25 km (16 mi) ENE from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 4.3 |
10 hrs earlier Nov 13, 2023 08:04 (Port Moresby Time) | 89 km (55 mi) ENE from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 4.6 |
10 hrs earlier Nov 13, 2023 08:08 (Port Moresby Time) | 13 km (8 mi) NE from Main Shock. |
| Main Shock | M 6.1 |
Nov 13, 2023 17:43 (Port Moresby Time) | - |
| Aftershock | M 4.9 |
9 hrs later Nov 14, 2023 02:39 (Port Moresby Time) | 8 km (5 mi) SE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.6 |
15 hrs later Nov 14, 2023 08:15 (Port Moresby Time) | 12 km (7 mi) SSE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.9 |
16 hrs later Nov 14, 2023 09:59 (Port Moresby Time) | 20 km (13 mi) S from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.3 |
21 hrs later Nov 14, 2023 15:00 (Port Moresby Time) | 12 km (7 mi) ESE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 5.5 |
22 hrs later Nov 14, 2023 15:53 (Port Moresby Time) | 13 km (8 mi) S from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 5.1 |
1 day later Nov 14, 2023 23:27 (Port Moresby Time) | 7 km (4 mi) SSE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 5.1 |
1 day later Nov 14, 2023 23:29 (Port Moresby Time) | 0.2 km (0.1 mi) N from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.5 |
1 day later Nov 15, 2023 01:34 (Port Moresby Time) | 59 km (37 mi) ENE from Main Shock. |
More earthquakes coming?
Earthquakes can create aftershocks. These are generally at least 1 magnitude lower than any main shock, and as time passes the chance and strength of aftershocks decreases.
The chance that a significant earthquake like this one is followed by an even larger earthquake is not so large. On average, scientists estimate a 94% chance that a major earthquake will not be followed by an even larger one. It is still adviced to be aware of this risk
Read: How to Stay Safe during an Earthquake (cdc.gov).Earthquakes like this happen often in the region
Earthquakes of this strength are very common in the region. This is the strongest earthquake to hit since November 12th, 2023, when a 5.5 magnitude earthquake hit 12 km (7 mi) further east-southeast. An even stronger magnitude 7.9 earthquake struck on December 17th, 2016.
In total, 190 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.2 or higher have been registered within 300km (186 mi) of this epicenter in the past 10 years. This comes down to an average of once every 19 days.
Low tsunami risk
Based on early data it appears this earthquake was not strong enough (lower than MAG-6.5) to be likely to cause destructive tsunami's. However this earthquake appeared to have hit at a shallow depth under sea, so stay cautious and monitor advice from local authorities.
Tsunami Risk Factors
| Factor | Under Sea? | MAG-6.5 or stronger? | Shallow depth? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Explanation | Almost all tsunami's are caused by earthquakes with their epicenter under sea or very near the sea. However stay cautious in coastal areas as earthquakes on land may cause landslides into sea, potentially still causing a local tsunami. | Under MAG 6.5: Very unlikely to cause a tsunami. MAG 6.5 to 7.5: Destructive tsunami's do occur, but are uncommon. Likely to observe small sea level changes. MAG 7.6+: Earthquakes with these magnitudes might produce destructive tsunami's. |
Most destructive tsunami's are caused by shallow earthquakes with a depth between 0 and 100km under the surface of the earth. Deeper tsunami's are unlikely to displace to ocean floor. |
| This Earthquake | This earthquake appears to have struck under the sea. | Not this earthquake. This earthquake had a magnitude of 5.2. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 10 km (6 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 28/11/23 11:48 (). As more information on this earthquake becomes available this article will be updated. This article is automatically composed based on data originating from multiple sources.
- US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us7000lagg
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20231112_0000091
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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