A significant MAG-5.3 earthquake struck under land 79 kilometer from Kimbe in Papua New Guinea in the early afternoon of Monday June 23rd, 2025.
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Earthquake Summary
The earthquake struck on land in Papua New Guinea, 79 kilometer (49 mi) east-southeast of Kimbe in West New Britain. 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: | Jun 23, 2025 13:17 (Port Moresby Time) - Jun 23, 2025 03:17 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 79 km ESE of Kimbe, West New Britain, Papua New Guinea. Coordinates 5°55'36"S 150°44'43"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: | 68 km (42 mi) A quite shallow depth. |
| Tsunami Risk: | Tsunami very unlikely While this was a shallow earthquake in a coastal area, it appears to have occurred under land (12 km from the sea) with a magnitude that is usually 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 Kimbe in West New Britain, Papua New Guinea. Kimbe is located 79 kilometer (49 mi) east-southeast of the epicenter.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 79 km (49 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Kimbe West New Britain, Papua New Guinea. |
| 244 km (152 mi) NE from epicenter |
Kokopo East New Britain, Papua New Guinea. |
Aftershocks detected
Before this earthquake struck, 1 smaller foreshock occurred. A 4.7 magnitude earthquake hit 3 days earlier nearby.
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreshock | M 4.7 |
3 days earlier Jun 20, 2025 13:29 (Port Moresby Time) | 89 km (55 mi) ESE from Main Shock. |
| Main Shock This Earthquake |
M 5.3 |
Jun 23, 2025 13:17 (Port Moresby Time) | - |
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. This is the strongest earthquake to hit since April 30th, 2025, when a 5.4 magnitude earthquake hit 49 km (31 mi) further north-east. An even stronger magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck on May 14th, 2019.
In total, 161 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 23 days.
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 | This earthquake appears to have struck on land near a coastal area (12 km from the sea). | Not this earthquake. This earthquake had a magnitude of 5.3. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 68 km (42 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 20/07/25 01:18 (). 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.
- US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us6000qlwa
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20250623_0000025
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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