A significant Magnitude 5.4 earthquake struck under land 54 kilometer from Bulolo in Papua New Guinea in the early morning of Thursday September 3rd, 2026. Roughly 3.1 million people may have felt this earthquake.
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Earthquake Summary
The earthquake struck on land in Papua New Guinea, 54 kilometer (34 mi) west of Bulolo in Morobe. The center of this earthquake had a quite shallow depth of 65 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.
| Date and Time: | Sep 3, 2026 06:04 (Port Moresby Time) - Sep 2, 2026 20:04 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 54 km west of Bulolo, Morobe, Papua New Guinea. Coordinates 7°10'53"S 146°9'14"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.4 Detected by 11 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.093 . |
| Depth: | 65 km (41 mi) A quite shallow depth. |
| Max. Intensity: | V
Moderate On the Modified Mercalli Scale. |
| Tsunami Risk: | Tsunami very unlikely While this was a shallow earthquake, it appears to have occurred under land with a magnitude not strong enough to 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 3.1 million people exposed to shaking
This earthquake may have been felt by around 3.1 million 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.
Light shaking and likely no damage may have been experienced by an estimated 313,800 people. At IV, it is the highest MMI level this earthquake has caused. The majority of people (roughly 1.7 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 |
| 1,112,000 | II |
Very weak | None |
| 1,660,000 | III |
Weak | Probably none |
| 313,800 | 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 Bulolo in Morobe, Papua New Guinea. Bulolo is located 54 kilometer (34 mi) west of the epicenter. The intensity of shaking and damage in Bulolo is estimated to be around level IV on the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale (light shaking, likely no damage).
A complete list of nearby places is included below. Estimated intensity data (MMI) sourced from a shake-map published by the US Geographic Survey is shown where available (cities without data probably experienced little impact).
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place | Intensity (MMI) |
|---|---|---|
| 54 km (34 mi) E from epicenter |
Bulolo Morobe, Papua New Guinea. |
IV
Light |
| 106 km (66 mi) NE from epicenter |
Lae Morobe, Papua New Guinea. |
III
Weak |
| 148 km (92 mi) NW from epicenter |
Goroka Eastern Highlands, Papua New Guinea. |
III
Weak |
| 222 km (138 mi) N from epicenter |
Madang Madang, Papua New Guinea. |
|
| 258 km (160 mi) NW from epicenter |
Mount Hagen Western Highlands, Papua New Guinea. |
|
| 278 km (173 mi) SE from epicenter |
Port Moresby National Capital, Papua New Guinea. |
|
| 289 km (180 mi) SE from epicenter |
Popondetta Northern Province, Papua New Guinea. |
|
| 299 km (186 mi) W from epicenter |
Mendi Southern Highlands, Papua New Guinea. |
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.
Risk of aftershocks?
This earthquake did not have any significant foreshocks nor aftershocks occurring within 100km (62 mi) of its epicenter.
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 August 16th, 2026, when a 5.5 magnitude earthquake hit 195 km (121 mi) further north. An even stronger magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck on September 10th, 2022.
In total, 55 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
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 | 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. |
This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 65 km (41 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 03/09/26 05:18 (). 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 us7000tdqc
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260902_0000330
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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