In the morning of Saturday April 18th, 2026, a significant M5.1 earthquake hit in the Solomon Sea 188 kilometer from Lae, Papua New Guinea.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the Solomon Sea, right off the coast of Papua New Guinea (9 mi offshore), 188 kilometer north-east of Lae in Morobe. The center of this earthquake had an intermediate depth of 95 km.
| Date and Time: | Apr 18, 2026 07:46 (Port Moresby Time) - Apr 17, 2026 21:46 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 188 km NE of Lae, Morobe, Papua New Guinea. Coordinates 5°57'29"S 148°30'46"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.1 Detected by 36 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.095 . |
| Depth: | 95 km (59 mi) An intermediate depth. |
| Tsunami Risk: | Low tsunami risk Earthquakes under MAG-6.5 do not usually 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 185 kilometer (115 mi) west of the epicenter.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 185 km (115 mi) E from epicenter |
Kimbe West New Britain, Papua New Guinea. |
| 188 km (117 mi) SW from epicenter |
Lae Morobe, Papua New Guinea. |
| 249 km (155 mi) SW from epicenter |
Bulolo Morobe, 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.
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 March 12th, 2026, when a 5.2 magnitude earthquake hit 290 km (180 mi) further north-east. An even stronger magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck on September 10th, 2022.
In total, 148 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 25 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
| 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 5.1. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 95 km (59 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 18/04/26 00:38 (). 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 us6000sqz1
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260417_0000321
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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