Significant M5.4 Earthquake hit 101km from Wewak in Papua New Guinea on Saturday Evening.

Written by Earthquakelist.org on August 15th, 2026. Last updated August 16th, 2026.

A significant MAG-5.4 earthquake struck under land 101 kilometer from Wewak in Papua New Guinea in the evening of Saturday August 15th, 2026. Around 4.2 million people have been exposed to shaking.

Earthquake Summary

The earthquake struck on land in Papua New Guinea, 101 kilometer (63 mi) south of Wewak in East Sepik. The center of this earthquake had an intermediate depth of 120 km.

Date and Time:	Aug 15, 2026 21:10 (Port Moresby Time) - Aug 15, 2026 11:10 Universal Time.
Location:	101 km south of Wewak, East Sepik, Papua New Guinea. Coordinates 4°24'40"S 143°55'16"E.
Map:	Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps.
Magnitude:	MAG 5.4 Detected by 28 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.111 .
Depth:	120 km (75 mi) An intermediate depth.
Max. Intensity:	IV Light On the Modified Mercalli Scale.
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.

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 4.2 million people exposed to shaking

An estimated 4.2 million have been exposed to shaking (An MMI or Modified Mercalli Intensity level II or higher) as a result of this earthquake according scientific estimates published by the USGS.

An estimated 264,200 people were exposed to level IV. At this level, light shaking and likely no damage can be expected. The majority of people (roughly 3 million) live in an area exposed to level III, where weak shaking and probably no damage is expected. All exposure to shaking was within the borders of Papua New Guinea .

People	MMI Level	Shaking	Damage
0	I	Not noticable	None
870,500	II	Very weak	None
3,025,000	III	Weak	Probably none
264,200	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 . Located 101 kilometer (63 mi) south of the epicenter of this earthquake, Wewak (East Sepik, Papua New Guinea) is the nearest significant population center. The intensity of shaking and damage in Wewak is estimated to be around level III on the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale (weak shaking, probably no damage).

The table below provides an overview of all places in proximity of today's earthquake. Where available, the estimated intensity on the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale in each place is included. Places where this information is omitted likely experienced little impact.

Overview of nearby places

Cities and Towns around the epicenter of this earthquake.
Distance	Place	Intensity (MMI)
101 km (63 mi) N from epicenter	Wewak East Sepik, Papua New Guinea.	III Weak
164 km (102 mi) S from epicenter	Mount Hagen Western Highlands, Papua New Guinea.	III Weak
195 km (121 mi) S from epicenter	Mendi Southern Highlands, Papua New Guinea.	III Weak
226 km (140 mi) SE from epicenter	Madang Madang, Papua New Guinea.
247 km (153 mi) SE from epicenter	Goroka Eastern Highlands, Papua New Guinea.	III Weak

Earthquake Intensity Map

The intensity in shaking and damage by this earthquake is illustrated through the map below. The highest intensity measured for this earthquake is IV.

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.

Aftershocks detected

This main shock was prefaced by 1 smaller foreshock. Roughly 2 days before this earthquake, a foreshock measuring MAG-5 was detected nearby this earthquake.

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 5.0	2 days earlier Aug 13, 2026 22:44 (Port Moresby Time)	4 km (2.7 mi) SW from Main Shock.
Main Shock This Earthquake	M 5.4	Aug 15, 2026 21:10 (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.

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 241 km (150 mi) further south-east. An even stronger magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck on February 25th, 2018.

In total, 61 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 2 months.

Tsunami very unlikely

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.

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	Not this earthquake. This earthquake appears to have struck on land far from any coast.	Not this earthquake. This earthquake had a magnitude of 5.4. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami.	Not this earthquake. This earthquake occurred at a depth of 120 km (75 mi). Earthquakes this deep in the earth are unlikely to trigger a tsunami.

Sources

Last updated 16/08/26 04:28 (). 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.