Shallow M6.1 Earthquake hit in the Bismarck Sea 151km from Kokopo (Papua New Guinea) on Monday Afternoon.

Written by Earthquakelist.org on November 13th, 2023. Last updated November 28th, 2023.

In the late afternoon of Monday November 13th, 2023, a shallow and strong MAG-6.1 earthquake hit in the Bismarck Sea 151 kilometer from Kokopo, Papua New Guinea. Around 690 thousand people have been exposed to shaking.

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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, 151 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 13, 2023 17:43 (Port Moresby Time) - Nov 13, 2023 07:43 Universal Time.
Location:	151 km WNW of Kokopo, East New Britain, Papua New Guinea. Coordinates 3°55'14"S 150°58'16"E.
Map:	Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps.
Magnitude:	MAG 6.1 Detected by 28 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.059 .
Depth:	10 km (6 mi) A very shallow depth.
Max. Intensity:	V Moderate On the Modified Mercalli Scale.
Tsunami Risk:	Low tsunami risk Earthquakes under MAG-6.5 do not usually cause tsunami's. Always stay cautious - More info here.

Minimal impact predicted

Based on scientific estimates by the US Geographic Survey (USGS), the risk of high fatalities for this earthquake is classified at level GREEN (low). They expect an 65% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 fatalities, and a 96% chance that the number of fatalities falls no higher than 10.

The USGS classifies the economic impact of this earthquake at level GREEN (low). They expect an 65% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 million US Dollars in economic damage and impact, and a 96% chance that the economic impact of this earthquake falls no higher than 10 million USD.

Roughly 690 thousand people exposed to shaking

This earthquake may have been felt by around 690 thousand people. That is the expected population size of the area exposed to a level of shaking of II or higher on the Modified Mercalli scale according to the USGS.

An estimated 432,300 people were exposed to level IV. At this level, light shaking and likely no damage can be expected. All exposure to shaking was within the borders of Papua New Guinea .

Nearby towns and cities

This earthquake may have been felt in Papua New Guinea . Located 151 kilometer (94 mi) west-northwest of the epicenter of this earthquake, Kokopo (East New Britain, Papua New Guinea) is the nearest significant population center. The intensity of shaking and damage in Kokopo is estimated to be around level IV on the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale (light shaking, likely no damage).

Overview of nearby places

Earthquake Intensity Map

The maximum intensity (MMI Scale) caused by this earthquake is IV. The map below shows in which areas this earthquake was the most and least impactful. It is based on data from the US Geographic Survey.

I Not felt

II Weak

III Weak

IV Light

V Moderate

VI Strong

VII Very Strong

VIII Severe

IX Violent

X Extreme

Shaking reported by 1 person

People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 1 person has reported shaking in one place in Papua New Guinea.We keep updating this article as more ground reports become available. You may report that you felt this earthquake here.

Places with most reports:

• Lae, Morobe, Papua New Guinea: 1 person.

8 Aftershocks detected

After this earthquake struck, 8 smaller aftershocks occurred. A 5.5 magnitude earthquake hit 22 hrs later 13 km (8 mi) south of this earthquake.

This main shock was prefaced by 16 smaller foreshocks. Nearby this earthquake a foreshock struck 1 day earlier. It measured a magnitude of 5.9

Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks

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.

In only six percent of cases, significant earthquakes are followed by a larger main shock, making the current earthquake a foreshock. While the chance of this happening is not so large, it is adviced to maintain cautiousness in the hours and days following a major earthquake.

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 April 19th, 2023, when a 6.3 magnitude earthquake hit 270 km (168 mi) further south-southwest. An even stronger magnitude 7.9 earthquake struck on December 17th, 2016.

In total, 26 earthquakes with a magnitude of 6.1 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 5 months.

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

Sources

Last updated 28/11/23 08:38 (). 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.

1. US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us7000lali
2. European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20231113_0000062
3. Geonames.org: World Cities Database
4. Google Maps: Static API
5. Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database

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