In the afternoon of Wednesday February 4th, 2026, a significant MAG-5.1 earthquake hit under land 8 kilometer from Kimbe in Papua New Guinea.
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Earthquake Summary
The earthquake struck on land in Papua New Guinea, 8 kilometer (5 mi) southwest of Kimbe in West New Britain. The center of this earthquake had an intermediate depth of 144 km.
| Date and Time: | Feb 4, 2026 14:25 (Port Moresby Time) - Feb 4, 2026 04:25 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 8 km SW of Kimbe, West New Britain, Papua New Guinea. Coordinates 5°36'1"S 150°5'4"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.1 Detected by 39 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.092 . |
| Depth: | 144 km (89 mi) An intermediate depth. |
| Tsunami Risk: | Tsunami very unlikely Tsunami's are usually caused by MAG-6.5+ earthquakes, less than 100km shallow, and with an epicenter under sea. Neither of this seems to be the case. Always stay cautious - More info here. |
Nearby towns and cities
This earthquake may have been felt in Papua New Guinea . Located 8 kilometer (5 mi) southwest of the epicenter of this earthquake, Kimbe (West New Britain, Papua New Guinea) is the nearest significant population center.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 8 km (5 mi) NE from epicenter |
Kimbe West New Britain, Papua New Guinea. |
| 279 km (173 mi) ENE from epicenter |
Kokopo East New Britain, Papua New Guinea. |
Risk of aftershocks?
We monitor for foreshocks or aftershocks that have a magnitude of 2.5+ and occur within 100km (62 mi) of the epicenter of this earthquake. So far no such earthquakes have been detected.
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.
It's always adviced to be cautious of the risk of a larger shock following any significant earthquake, however this risk is fairly small. There is a roughly 94 percent change that no larger main shock will follow in the days following this earthquake.
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 February 3rd, 2026, when a 5.2 magnitude earthquake hit 288 km (179 mi) further west-southwest. An even stronger magnitude 7 earthquake struck on October 10th, 2018.
In total, 204 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 18 days.
Tsunami very unlikely
It is very unlikely that this eartquake will cause any tsunami's. The reported magnitude is lower than the MAG-6.5 strength required to cause any earthquakes. In addition, this earthquake was not very shallow and appears to have occurred under land. 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 (9 km from the sea). | Not this earthquake. This earthquake had a magnitude of 5.1. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
Not this earthquake. This earthquake occurred at a depth of 144 km (89 mi). Earthquakes this deep in the earth are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 04/02/26 22:28 (). 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 us6000s6bp
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260204_0000059
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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