In the evening of Tuesday December 23rd, 2025, a significant M5.2 earthquake hit in the Bismarck Sea 136 kilometer from Lae, Papua New Guinea.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the Bismarck Sea, 26 kilometers (16 mi) off the coast of Papua New Guinea, 136 kilometer north-northeast of Lae in Morobe. The center of this earthquake had an intermediate depth of 197 km.
| Date and Time: | Dec 23, 2025 19:54 (Port Moresby Time) - Dec 23, 2025 09:54 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 136 km NNE of Lae, Morobe, Papua New Guinea. Coordinates 5°34'22"S 147°24'39"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.2 Detected by 17 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.075 . |
| Depth: | 197 km (122 mi) An intermediate depth. |
| Tsunami Risk: | Tsunami very unlikely Earthquakes under MAG-6.5 at depths deeper than 100km are very unlikely to cause tsunami's. Always stay cautious - More info here. |
Nearby towns and cities
This earthquake may have been felt in Papua New Guinea . Located 136 kilometer (85 mi) north-northeast of the epicenter of this earthquake, Lae (Morobe, Papua New Guinea) is the nearest significant population center.
An overview of nearby towns and cities is available in the overview below.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 136 km (85 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Lae Morobe, Papua New Guinea. |
| 184 km (114 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Madang Madang, Papua New Guinea. |
| 200 km (124 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Bulolo Morobe, Papua New Guinea. |
| 231 km (144 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Goroka Eastern Highlands, Papua New Guinea. |
Aftershocks detected
After this earthquake struck, 1 smaller aftershock occurred. A 4.3 magnitude earthquake hit 2 days later 84 km (52 mi) south-east of this earthquake.
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main Shock This Earthquake |
M 5.2 |
Dec 23, 2025 19:54 (Port Moresby Time) | - |
| Aftershock | M 4.3 |
2 days later Dec 26, 2025 07:33 (Port Moresby Time) | 84 km (52 mi) SE from Main Shock. |
More earthquakes coming?
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 December 22nd, 2025, when a 6.5 magnitude earthquake hit 213 km (132 mi) further west. An even stronger magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck on September 10th, 2022.
In total, 120 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 30 days.
Tsunami very unlikely
For a serious tsunami to occur, earthquakes usually need to have a magnitude of at least 6.5 and occur at a shallow depth of maximum 100km. Neither are the case with this earthquake. 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 under the sea. | 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 197 km (122 mi). Earthquakes this deep in the earth are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 07/01/26 11:38 (). 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 us7000rkbp
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20251223_0000113
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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