Under land 70 kilometer from Lae in Papua New Guinea, a significant MAG-5.0 earthquake occurred in the morning of Tuesday September 15th, 2026.
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Earthquake Summary
The earthquake struck on land in Papua New Guinea, 70 kilometer (43 mi) northwest of Lae in Morobe. The center of this earthquake had an intermediate depth of 120 km.
| Date and Time: | Sep 15, 2026 08:06 (Port Moresby Time) - Sep 14, 2026 22:06 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 70 km NW of Lae, Morobe, Papua New Guinea. Coordinates 6°18'26"S 146°31'33"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.0 Detected by 172 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.043 . |
| Depth: | 120 km (74 mi) An intermediate depth. |
| 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. |
Nearby towns and cities
This earthquake may have been felt in Papua New Guinea . Lae in Morobe, Papua New Guinea is the nearest significant place from the epicenter. The earthquake occurred 70 kilometer (43 mi) northwest of Lae.
A complete list of nearby places is included below.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 70 km (43 mi) SE from epicenter |
Lae Morobe, Papua New Guinea. |
| 100 km (62 mi) S from epicenter |
Bulolo Morobe, Papua New Guinea. |
| 128 km (80 mi) W from epicenter |
Goroka Eastern Highlands, Papua New Guinea. |
| 146 km (91 mi) NW from epicenter |
Madang Madang, Papua New Guinea. |
| 259 km (161 mi) W from epicenter |
Mount Hagen Western Highlands, Papua New Guinea. |
Risk of aftershocks?
This earthquake did not have any significant foreshocks nor aftershocks occurring within 100km (62 mi) of its epicenter.
Aftershocks are usually at least 1 order of magnitude less strong than main shocks. The more time passes, the smaller the chance and likely strength of any potential aftershocks.
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 September 2nd, 2026, when a 5.4 magnitude earthquake hit 100 km (62 mi) further south. An even stronger magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck on September 10th, 2022.
In total, 193 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5 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 19 days.
Tsunami very unlikely
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. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
Not this earthquake. This earthquake occurred at a depth of 120 km (74 mi). Earthquakes this deep in the earth are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 15/09/26 09:48 (). 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 us7000thhd
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260914_0000274
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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