Under land 127 kilometer from Kimbe in Papua New Guinea, a significant M5.2 earthquake occurred in the evening of Tuesday June 11th, 2024.
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Earthquake Summary
The earthquake struck on land in Papua New Guinea, 127 kilometer (79 mi) east-northeast of Kimbe in West New Britain. The center of this earthquake had an intermediate depth of 118 km.
| Date and Time: | Jun 11, 2024 21:38 (Port Moresby Time) - Jun 11, 2024 11:38 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 127 km ENE of Kimbe, West New Britain, Papua New Guinea. Coordinates 5°14'58"S 151°14'44"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.2 Detected by 18 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.073 . |
| Depth: | 118 km (73 mi) An intermediate depth. |
| Tsunami Risk: | Tsunami very unlikely Tsunami's are usually caused by MAG-6.5+ earthquakes, less than 100km shallow, and with an epicenter under sea. Neither of this seems to be the case. Always stay cautious - More info here. |
Nearby towns and cities
This earthquake may have been felt in Papua New Guinea . Kimbe in West New Britain, Papua New Guinea is the nearest significant place from the epicenter. The earthquake occurred 127 kilometer (79 mi) east-northeast of Kimbe.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 127 km (79 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Kimbe West New Britain, Papua New Guinea. |
| 152 km (94 mi) NE from epicenter |
Kokopo East New Britain, Papua New Guinea. |
Aftershocks detected
In the days before this main shock, 1 smaller foreshock was detected. Nearby this earthquake a foreshock struck 29 mins earlier. It measured a magnitude of 5.1
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreshock | M 5.1 |
29 mins earlier Jun 11, 2024 21:09 (Port Moresby Time) | 8 km (5 mi) WSW from Main Shock. |
| Main Shock This Earthquake |
M 5.2 |
Jun 11, 2024 21:38 (Port Moresby Time) | - |
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.
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 May 18th, 2024, when a 5.7 magnitude earthquake hit 184 km (114 mi) further north-northeast. An even stronger magnitude 7.9 earthquake struck on December 17th, 2016.
In total, 218 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 17 days.
Tsunami very unlikely
It is very unlikely that this eartquake will cause any tsunami's. The reported magnitude is lower than the MAG-6.5 strength required to cause any earthquakes. In addition, this earthquake was not very shallow and appears to have occurred under land. However always 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 on land near a coastal area (19 km from the sea). | Not this earthquake. This earthquake had a magnitude of 5.2. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
Not this earthquake. This earthquake occurred at a depth of 118 km (73 mi). Earthquakes this deep in the earth are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 30/06/24 13:38 (). This article is automatically generated based on available data. We keep checking multiple sources for additional information. This article gets updated as new details on this earthquake become available.
- US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us7000mrp5
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20240611_0000143
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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