In the morning of Tuesday March 18th, 2025, a significant Magnitude 5.1 earthquake hit under land 68 kilometer from Madang in Papua New Guinea.
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Earthquake Summary
The earthquake struck on land in Papua New Guinea, 68 kilometer (42 mi) south of Madang. The center of this earthquake had an intermediate depth of 71 km.
| Date and Time: | Mar 18, 2025 07:18 (Port Moresby Time) - Mar 17, 2025 21:18 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 68 km south of Madang, Papua New Guinea. Coordinates 5°49'45"S 145°50'56"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.1 Detected by 137 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.049 . |
| Depth: | 71 km (44 mi) An intermediate depth. |
| Tsunami Risk: | Tsunami very unlikely While this was a shallow earthquake, it appears to have occurred under land with a magnitude not strong enough to cause tsunami's. 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 Goroka in Eastern Highlands, Papua New Guinea. Goroka is located 59 kilometer (37 mi) east-northeast of the epicenter.
A complete list of nearby places is included below.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 59 km (37 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Goroka Eastern Highlands, Papua New Guinea. |
| 68 km (42 mi) N from epicenter |
Madang Madang, Papua New Guinea. |
| 161 km (100 mi) SE from epicenter |
Lae Morobe, Papua New Guinea. |
| 176 km (109 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Bulolo Morobe, Papua New Guinea. |
| 179 km (111 mi) W from epicenter |
Mount Hagen Western Highlands, Papua New Guinea. |
| 245 km (152 mi) W from epicenter |
Mendi Southern Highlands, Papua New Guinea. |
Shaking reported by 2 people
People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 2 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:
- Goroka, Eastern Highlands, Papua New Guinea: 1 person.
- Kainantu, Eastern 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.
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 September 19th, 2024, when a 5.5 magnitude earthquake hit 180 km (112 mi) further east. An even stronger magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck on September 10th, 2022.
In total, 116 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.1 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 month.
Tsunami very unlikely
While MAG-6.5+ earthquakes may cause tsunami's, it appears that the epicenter of this earthquake hit under land. In addition, the reported depth is deeper than 100km, making the risk of a tsunami even less likely. 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 5.1. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 71 km (44 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 26/03/25 22:18 (). This article contains currently available information about the earthquake and is automatically composed. We continue to update this article up to a few days after the earthquake occurred.
- US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us6000pzf1
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20250317_0000220
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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