Shallow M5.3 Earthquake hit in the Solomon Sea 162km from Kimbe (Papua New Guinea) on Thursday Afternoon.

Written by Earthquakelist.org on April 10th, 2025. Last updated April 28th, 2025.

A shallow and significant MAG-5.3 earthquake struck in the Solomon Sea 162 kilometer from Kimbe, Papua New Guinea in the early afternoon of Thursday April 10th, 2025. Around 330 thousand people have been exposed to shaking.

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Earthquake Summary

This earthquake hit under water in the Solomon Sea, 39 kilometers (24 mi) off the coast of Papua New Guinea, 162 kilometer east-southeast of Kimbe in West 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:	Apr 10, 2025 12:43 (Port Moresby Time) - Apr 10, 2025 02:43 Universal Time.
Location:	162 km ESE of Kimbe, West New Britain, Papua New Guinea. Coordinates 6°10'25"S 151°27'48"E.
Map:	Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps.
Magnitude:	MAG 5.3 Detected by 18 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.073 .
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 330 thousand people exposed to shaking

The USGS has published a report estimating the number of people exposed to this earthquake. Acoording to their analysis, roughly 330 thousand have been exposed to shaking at an MMI level of II or higher.

An estimated 22,810 people were exposed to level IV. At this level, light shaking and likely no damage can be expected. Intensity level III was experienced by the majority of people (around 300 thousand). In their region, weak shaking and probably 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 . The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Kimbe in West New Britain, Papua New Guinea. Kimbe is located 162 kilometer (101 mi) east-southeast of the epicenter. The intensity of shaking and damage in Kimbe is estimated to be around level III on the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale (weak shaking, probably no damage).

Overview of nearby places

Earthquake Intensity Map

The intensity in shaking and damage by this earthquake is illustrated through the map below. The highest intensity measured 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

6 Aftershocks detected

Since this main shock, 6 smaller aftershocks were detected. A 5.2 magnitude earthquake hit 1 day later 26 km (16 mi) east-northeast of this earthquake.

Before this earthquake struck, 21 smaller foreshocks occurred. A 5.1 magnitude earthquake hit 3 days earlier nearby.

Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks

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

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 5th, 2025, when a 5.4 magnitude earthquake hit 22 km (14 mi) further south. An even stronger magnitude 7.9 earthquake struck on December 17th, 2016.

In total, 196 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.3 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 19 days.

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 28/04/25 04:18 (). 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 us6000q519
2. European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20250410_0000023
3. Geonames.org: World Cities Database
4. Google Maps: Static API
5. Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database

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