Significant M5.4 AFTERSHOCK hit in the Solomon Sea 132km from Arawa (Papua New Guinea) on Sunday Afternoon.

Written by Earthquakelist.org on February 23rd, 2025. Last updated March 13th, 2025.

In the afternoon of Sunday February 23rd, 2025, a significant Magnitude 5.4 aftershock hit in the Solomon Sea 132 kilometer from Arawa, Papua New Guinea. Roughly 340 thousand people may have felt this earthquake.

Earthquake Summary

This earthquake hit under water in the Solomon Sea, 59 kilometers (37 mi) off the coast of Papua New Guinea, 132 kilometer south-southeast of Arawa in Bougainville. The center of this earthquake had a quite shallow depth of 68 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.

Date and Time:	Feb 23, 2025 15:17 (Bougainville Time) - Feb 23, 2025 04:17 Universal Time.
Location:	132 km SSE of Arawa, Bougainville, Papua New Guinea. Coordinates 7°21'55"S 155°55'45"E.
Map:	Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps.
Magnitude:	MAG 5.4 Detected by 83 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.064 .
Depth:	68 km (43 mi) A quite 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 340 thousand people exposed to shaking

An estimated 340 thousand have been exposed to shaking (An MMI or Modified Mercalli Intensity level II or higher) as a result of this earthquake according scientific estimates published by the USGS.

Light shaking and likely no damage may have been experienced by an estimated 39,590 people. At IV, it is the highest MMI level this earthquake has caused. The majority of people (roughly 270 thousand) live in an area exposed to level III, where weak shaking and probably no damage is expected.

People in 2 countries have been exposed to shaking. In Papua New Guinea , around 220 thousand people, with impact levels up to IV (light shaking, likely no damage). In Solomon Islands , around 120 thousand people.

People	MMI Level	Shaking	Damage
0	I	Not noticable	None
29,850	II	Very weak	None
271,000	III	Weak	Probably none
39,590	IV	Light	Likely none
0	V	Moderate	Very light
0	VI	Strong	Light
0	VII	Very Strong	Moderate
0	VIII	Severe	Moderate to heavy
0	IX	Violent	Heavy
0	X	Extreme	Very heavy

Nearby towns and cities

This earthquake may have been felt in Papua New Guinea . The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Arawa in Bougainville, Papua New Guinea. Arawa is located 132 kilometer (82 mi) south-southeast of the epicenter. The intensity of shaking and damage in Arawa is estimated to be around level III on the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale (weak shaking, probably no damage).

Overview of nearby places

Cities and Towns around the epicenter of this earthquake.
Distance	Place	Intensity (MMI)
132 km (82 mi) NNW from epicenter	Arawa Bougainville, Papua New Guinea.	III Weak

Earthquake Intensity Map

The graph below overlays a map of the region around the epicenter with earthquake intensity data provided by the US Geographic Survey. The highest intensity level detected for this earthquake is IV.

I Not felt

II Weak

III Weak

IV Light

V Moderate

VI Strong

VII Very Strong

VIII Severe

IX Violent

X Extreme

Earthquake Intensity Map based on Shakemap Data provided by USGS.

This is likely an aftershock

This earthquake was an aftershock. A larger mag. 5.6 earthquake struck 15 km (9 mi) south-southwest in advance of this 5.4 earthquake around 3 hrs earlier.

Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks

Detected MAG2.5+ earthquakes within within 100km (62 mi), that occurred in the three days before and after the main shock.
Classification	Magnitude	When	Where
Foreshock	M 4.8	5 hrs earlier Feb 23, 2025 07:39 (Bougainville Time)	50 km (31 mi) SE from Main Shock.
Foreshock	M 4.5	5 hrs earlier Feb 23, 2025 07:39 (Bougainville Time)	50 km (31 mi) NNW from Main Shock.
Foreshock	M 5.3	3 hrs earlier Feb 23, 2025 09:21 (Bougainville Time)	12 km (7 mi) E from Main Shock.
Main Shock	M 5.6	Feb 23, 2025 12:31 (Bougainville Time)	-
Aftershock	M 4.5	8 mins later Feb 23, 2025 12:40 (Bougainville Time)	61 km (38 mi) NW from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 4.5	8 mins later Feb 23, 2025 12:40 (Bougainville Time)	61 km (38 mi) NW from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 5.1	15 mins later Feb 23, 2025 12:46 (Bougainville Time)	15 km (9 mi) NNW from Main Shock.
Aftershock This Earthquake	M 5.4	3 hrs later Feb 23, 2025 15:17 (Bougainville Time)	15 km (9 mi) NNE from Main Shock.

More earthquakes coming?

Aftershocks are usually at least 1 order of magnitude less strong than main shocks. The more time passes, the smaller the chance and likely strength of any potential aftershocks.

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. In total, 53 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.4 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 2 months.

Low tsunami risk

DISCLAIMER: We strongly suggest to closely monitor advice from local authorities with regards to tsunami risks. Our analysis is based on automatically collected data from external sources, and these might contain mistakes. In addition, earthquakes can cause landslides that may lead to a tsunami, or be a followed by another, potentially stonger, earthquake.

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 5.4. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami.	This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 68 km (43 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami.

Sources

Last updated 13/03/25 05:48 (). 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.