A significant Magnitude 5.1 aftershock struck in the Solomon Sea 157 kilometer from Arawa, Papua New Guinea around noon of Thursday May 7th, 2026.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the Solomon Sea, 52 kilometers (32 mi) off the coast of Papua New Guinea, 157 kilometer west of Arawa in Bougainville. The center of this earthquake had an intermediate depth of 142 km.
| Date and Time: | May 7, 2026 12:23 (Bougainville Time) - May 7, 2026 01:23 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 157 km west of Arawa, Bougainville, Papua New Guinea. Coordinates 5°44'40"S 154°14'12"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.1 Detected by 15 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.08 . |
| Depth: | 142 km (88 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 157 kilometer (98 mi) west of the epicenter of this earthquake, Arawa (Bougainville, Papua New Guinea) is the nearest significant population center.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 157 km (98 mi) E from epicenter |
Arawa Bougainville, Papua New Guinea. |
| 268 km (167 mi) NW from epicenter |
Kokopo East New Britain, Papua New Guinea. |
This is likely an aftershock
This earthquake is likely an aftershock of the MAG-5.2 earthquake that struck 16 hrs earlier. That main earthquake hit 20 km (13 mi) east of the epicenter of this MAG-5.1 aftershock.
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main Shock | M 5.2 |
May 6, 2026 20:43 (Bougainville Time) | - |
| Aftershock This Earthquake |
M 5.1 |
16 hrs later May 7, 2026 12:23 (Bougainville Time) | 20 km (13 mi) W 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.
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. In total, 205 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
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 5.1. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
Not this earthquake. This earthquake occurred at a depth of 142 km (88 mi). Earthquakes this deep in the earth are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 07/05/26 11:58 (). This article is automatically generated based on available data. We keep checking multiple sources for additional information. This article gets updated as new details on this earthquake become available.
- US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us6000svu7
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260507_0000021
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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