A significant M5.2 earthquake struck under land 28 kilometer from Madang in Papua New Guinea in the night of Monday May 11th, 2026.
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Earthquake Summary
The earthquake struck on land in Papua New Guinea, 28 kilometer (17 mi) southwest of Madang. The center of this earthquake had an intermediate depth of 91 km.
| Date and Time: | May 11, 2026 02:34 (Port Moresby Time) - May 10, 2026 16:34 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 28 km SW of Madang, Papua New Guinea. Coordinates 5°19'0"S 145°33'14"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.2 Detected by 15 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.08 . |
| Depth: | 91 km (57 mi) An intermediate depth. |
| Tsunami Risk: | Tsunami very unlikely While this was a shallow earthquake in a coastal area, it appears to have occurred under land (22 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 Madang in Madang, Papua New Guinea. Madang is located 28 kilometer (17 mi) southwest of the epicenter.
A complete list of nearby places is included below.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 28 km (17 mi) NE from epicenter |
Madang Madang, Papua New Guinea. |
| 87 km (54 mi) S from epicenter |
Goroka Eastern Highlands, Papua New Guinea. |
| 158 km (98 mi) SW from epicenter |
Mount Hagen Western Highlands, Papua New Guinea. |
| 223 km (139 mi) SE from epicenter |
Lae Morobe, Papua New Guinea. |
| 229 km (142 mi) SW from epicenter |
Mendi Southern Highlands, Papua New Guinea. |
| 242 km (150 mi) SE from epicenter |
Bulolo Morobe, Papua New Guinea. |
| 290 km (180 mi) NW from epicenter |
Wewak East Sepik, Papua New Guinea. |
Shaking reported by 6 people
People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 6 people have reported shaking in 4 places, all within Papua New Guinea.We keep updating this article as more ground reports become available. You may report that you felt this earthquake here.
Places with most reports:
- Mount Hagen, Western Highlands, Papua New Guinea: 2 people.
- Kainantu, Eastern Highlands, Papua New Guinea: 2 people.
- Madang, Madang, Papua New Guinea: 1 person.
- Goroka, Eastern Highlands, Papua New Guinea: 1 person.
Risk of aftershocks?
This earthquake did not have any significant foreshocks nor aftershocks occurring within 100km (62 mi) of its epicenter.
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.
In only six percent of cases, significant earthquakes are followed by a larger main shock, making the current earthquake a foreshock. While the chance of this happening is not so large, it is adviced to maintain cautiousness in the hours and days following a major 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 25th, 2026, when a 5.4 magnitude earthquake hit 36 km (23 mi) further east. An even stronger magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck on September 10th, 2022.
In total, 113 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 month.
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 (22 km from the sea). | Not this earthquake. This earthquake had a magnitude of 5.2. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 91 km (57 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 11/05/26 11:38 (). 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 us6000swr6
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260510_0000348
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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