Shallow M5.4 Earthquake hit in the Solomon Sea 230km from Arawa (Papua New Guinea) on Wednesday Morning.

Written by Earthquakelist.org on July 28th, 2026.

In the early morning of Wednesday July 29th, 2026, a shallow and significant Magnitude 5.4 earthquake hit in the Solomon Sea 230 kilometer from Arawa, Papua New Guinea. Shaking may have been felt by a total of 700 thousand people.

Earthquake Summary

This earthquake hit under water in the Solomon Sea, 125 kilometers (78 mi) off the coast of Papua New Guinea, 230 kilometer west of Arawa in Bougainville. The center of this earthquake had a very shallow depth of 10 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.

Date and Time:	Jul 29, 2026 06:27 (Port Moresby Time) - Jul 28, 2026 20:27 Universal Time.
Location:	230 km west of Arawa, Bougainville, Papua New Guinea. Coordinates 5°45'37"S 153°32'37"E.
Map:	Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps.
Magnitude:	MAG 5.4 Detected by 23 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.065 .
Depth:	10 km (6 mi) A very shallow depth.
Max. Intensity:	IV Light On the Modified Mercalli Scale.
Tsunami Risk:	Low tsunami risk Earthquakes under MAG-6.5 do not usually cause tsunami's. Always stay cautious - More info here.

Minimal impact predicted

Based on scientific estimates by the US Geographic Survey (USGS), the risk of high fatalities for this earthquake is classified at level GREEN (low). They expect an 90% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 fatalities.

The USGS classifies the economic impact of this earthquake at level GREEN (low). They expect an 90% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 million US Dollars in economic damage and impact.

Roughly 700 thousand people exposed to shaking

This earthquake may have been felt by around 700 thousand people. That is the expected population size of the area exposed to a level of shaking of II or higher on the Modified Mercalli scale according to the USGS.

An estimated 401,000 people were exposed to level III. At this level, weak shaking and probably no damage can be expected.

People in 2 countries have been exposed to shaking. In Papua New Guinea , around 700 thousand people, with impact levels up to III (weak shaking, probably no damage).

People	MMI Level	Shaking	Damage
0	I	Not noticable	None
302,100	II	Very weak	None
401,000	III	Weak	Probably none
0	IV	Light	Likely none
0	V	Moderate	Very light
0	VI	Strong	Light
0	VII	Very Strong	Moderate
0	VIII	Severe	Moderate to heavy
0	IX	Violent	Heavy
0	X	Extreme	Very heavy

Nearby towns and cities

This earthquake may have been felt in Papua New Guinea . The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Kokopo in East New Britain, Papua New Guinea. Kokopo is located 212 kilometer (132 mi) south-east of the epicenter. Kokopo experienced an earthquake intensity (MMI Scale) of roughly II. That level implies very weak shaking and no damage.

Overview of nearby places

Cities and Towns around the epicenter of this earthquake.
Distance	Place	Intensity (MMI)
212 km (132 mi) NW from epicenter	Kokopo East New Britain, Papua New Guinea.	II Weak
230 km (143 mi) E from epicenter	Arawa Bougainville, Papua New Guinea.

Earthquake Intensity Map

The maximum intensity (MMI Scale) caused by this earthquake is III. The map below shows in which areas this earthquake was the most and least impactful. It is based on data from the US Geographic Survey.

I Not felt

II Weak

III Weak

IV Light

V Moderate

VI Strong

VII Very Strong

VIII Severe

IX Violent

X Extreme

Earthquake Intensity Map based on Shakemap Data provided by USGS.

Shaking reported by 1 person

People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 1 person has reported shaking in one place in 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:

Panguna, North Solomons, Papua New Guinea: 1 person.

Aftershocks detected

Before this earthquake struck, 1 smaller foreshock occurred. A 4.7 magnitude earthquake hit 2 days earlier nearby.

Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks

Detected MAG2.5+ earthquakes within within 100km (62 mi), that occurred in the three days before and after the main shock.
Classification	Magnitude	When	Where
Foreshock	M 4.7	2 days earlier Jul 27, 2026 14:40 (Port Moresby Time)	48 km (30 mi) W from Main Shock.
Main Shock This Earthquake	M 5.4	Jul 29, 2026 06:27 (Port Moresby Time)	-

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. This is the strongest earthquake to hit since June 30th, 2026, when a 5.4 magnitude earthquake hit 278 km (173 mi) further west. An even stronger magnitude 7.9 earthquake struck on January 22nd, 2017.

In total, 128 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.4 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 29 days.

Low tsunami risk

DISCLAIMER: We strongly suggest to closely monitor advice from local authorities with regards to tsunami risks. Our analysis is based on automatically collected data from external sources, and these might contain mistakes. In addition, earthquakes can cause landslides that may lead to a tsunami, or be a followed by another, potentially stonger, earthquake.

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 5.4. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami.	This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 10 km (6 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami.

Sources

Last updated 28/07/26 22:38 (). 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.