In the evening of Sunday August 16th, 2026, a significant M5.1 earthquake hit in the Bismarck Sea 134 kilometer from Lae, Papua New Guinea.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the Bismarck Sea, 25 kilometers (15 mi) off the coast of Papua New Guinea, 134 kilometer north of Lae in Morobe. The center of this earthquake had an intermediate depth of 139 km.
| Date and Time: | Aug 16, 2026 20:59 (Port Moresby Time) - Aug 16, 2026 10:59 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 134 km north of Lae, Morobe, Papua New Guinea. Coordinates 5°32'53"S 146°44'51"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.1 Detected by 213 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.039 . |
| Depth: | 139 km (86 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 . Madang in Madang, Papua New Guinea is the nearest significant place from the epicenter. The earthquake occurred 112 kilometer (70 mi) east of Madang.
A complete list of nearby places is included below.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 112 km (70 mi) W from epicenter |
Madang Madang, Papua New Guinea. |
| 134 km (83 mi) S from epicenter |
Lae Morobe, Papua New Guinea. |
| 162 km (101 mi) W from epicenter |
Goroka Eastern Highlands, Papua New Guinea. |
| 184 km (114 mi) S from epicenter |
Bulolo Morobe, Papua New Guinea. |
| 281 km (175 mi) W from epicenter |
Mount Hagen Western Highlands, Papua New Guinea. |
Aftershocks detected
In the days before this main shock, 1 smaller foreshock was detected. Nearby this earthquake a foreshock struck 3 hrs earlier. It measured a magnitude of 4.6
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreshock | M 4.6 |
3 hrs earlier Aug 16, 2026 18:06 (Port Moresby Time) | 47 km (29 mi) W from Main Shock. |
| Main Shock This Earthquake |
M 5.1 |
Aug 16, 2026 20:59 (Port Moresby Time) | - |
More earthquakes coming?
The risk of aftershocks decreases rapidly over time. Usually, aftershocks are at least one order of magnitude lower than a main shock.
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 May 10th, 2026, when a 5.3 magnitude earthquake hit 125 km (78 mi) further west. An even stronger magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck on September 10th, 2022.
In total, 136 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 27 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 139 km (86 mi). Earthquakes this deep in the earth are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 16/08/26 20:58 (). 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 usd0015e7p
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260816_0000386
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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