Under land 88 kilometer from Lae in Papua New Guinea, a significant Magnitude 5.2 earthquake occurred in the early morning of Tuesday June 18th, 2024.
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Earthquake Summary
The earthquake struck on land in Papua New Guinea, 88 kilometer (55 mi) west-northwest of Lae in Morobe. The center of this earthquake had an intermediate depth of 104 km.
| Date and Time: | Jun 18, 2024 06:49 (Port Moresby Time) - Jun 17, 2024 20:49 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 88 km WNW of Lae, Morobe, Papua New Guinea. Coordinates 6°20'39"S 146°17'39"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.2 Detected by 22 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.066 . |
| Depth: | 104 km (64 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 . The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Lae in Morobe, Papua New Guinea. Lae is located 88 kilometer (55 mi) west-northwest of the epicenter.
A complete list of nearby places is included below.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 88 km (55 mi) ESE from epicenter |
Lae Morobe, Papua New Guinea. |
| 103 km (64 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Bulolo Morobe, Papua New Guinea. |
| 104 km (65 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Goroka Eastern Highlands, Papua New Guinea. |
| 137 km (85 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Madang Madang, Papua New Guinea. |
| 234 km (145 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Mount Hagen Western Highlands, Papua New Guinea. |
| 292 km (181 mi) W from epicenter |
Mendi Southern Highlands, Papua New Guinea. |
Shaking reported by 3 people
People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 3 people have reported shaking in 2 places 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: 2 people.
- Mount Hagen, Western Highlands, Papua New Guinea: 1 person.
Risk of aftershocks?
This earthquake did not have any significant foreshocks nor aftershocks occurring within 100km (62 mi) of its epicenter.
The risk of aftershocks decreases rapidly over time. Usually, aftershocks are at least one order of magnitude lower than a main shock.
It's always adviced to be cautious of the risk of a larger shock following any significant earthquake, however this risk is fairly small. There is a roughly 94 percent change that no larger main shock will follow in the days following this 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 21st, 2024, when a 5.7 magnitude earthquake hit 112 km (70 mi) further east. An even stronger magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck on September 10th, 2022.
In total, 84 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 month.
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 | Not this earthquake. This earthquake appears to have struck on land far from any coast. |
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 104 km (64 mi). Earthquakes this deep in the earth are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 26/06/24 20:48 (). 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 us7000mt2v
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20240617_0000239
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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