A significant M5.2 earthquake struck under land 140 kilometer from Kokopo in Papua New Guinea in the evening of Thursday September 24th, 2026.
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Earthquake Summary
The earthquake struck on land in Papua New Guinea, 140 kilometer (87 mi) southwest of Kokopo in East New Britain. The center of this earthquake had an intermediate depth of 96 km.
| Date and Time: | Sep 24, 2026 22:29 (Port Moresby Time) - Sep 24, 2026 12:29 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 140 km SW of Kokopo, East New Britain, Papua New Guinea. Coordinates 5°20'23"S 151°29'29"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.2 Detected by 39 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.092 . |
| Depth: | 96 km (59 mi) An intermediate depth. |
| Tsunami Risk: | Tsunami very unlikely While this was a shallow earthquake in a coastal area, it appears to have occurred under land (19 km from the sea) with a magnitude that is usually not strong enough to cause tsunami's. Always stay cautious - More info here. |
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 140 kilometer (87 mi) southwest of the epicenter.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 140 km (87 mi) NE from epicenter |
Kokopo East New Britain, Papua New Guinea. |
| 152 km (94 mi) W from epicenter |
Kimbe West New Britain, 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.
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 September 5th, 2026, when a 5.5 magnitude earthquake hit 261 km (162 mi) further east. An even stronger magnitude 7.9 earthquake struck on December 17th, 2016.
In total, 180 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.2 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 20 days.
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 | This earthquake appears to have struck on land near a coastal area (19 km from the sea). | Not this earthquake. This earthquake had a magnitude of 5.2. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 96 km (59 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 24/09/26 21:58 (). 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.
- US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us6000txbm
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260924_0000178
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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