Moderate magnitude 4.2 earthquake at unknown depth15 Jul 18:57 UTC: First to report: BMKG after 6 minutes.I didn't feel itI felt this quakeEarthquake detailsDate & timeJul 15, 2025 18:51:11 UTC - Local time at epicenterWednesday, Jul 16, 2025, at 04:51 am (Pacific/Port Moresby GMT +10)Statusconfirmed (manually revised)Magnitude4.2Depth10 kmEpicenter latitude / longitude6.43°S / 143.26°ESouthern Highlands Province, Papua New GuineaSeismic antipode6.43°N / 36.74°WShaking intensityIV Light shaking near epicenterFelt0 reportsPrimary data sourceBMKG (Meteorological, Climatological, and Geophysical Agency of Indonesia)Nearest volcanoDoma Peaks (60 km / 37 mi)Weather at epicenter at time of quakeOvercast Clouds 19.3°C (67 F), humidity: 100%, wind: 0 m/s (1 kts) from SSWEstimated seismic energy released1.3 x 1011 joules (35 megawatt hours, equivalent to 30.1 tons of TNT) | equivalent to ONE quake of magnitude 4.2 | about seismic energy15 minutes agoJul 15, 2025 18:51 GMT / Jul 16, 2025 04:51 am (Port Moresby time)Lat / Lng: -6.43 / 143.26: New Guinea, Papua New GuineaSource: BMKGOther sources: EMSC: 4.2 / 10 kmDetail info | You felt it? - Report it!';storedMarkers.push(['quake-21961309',-6.43000,143.26000,'15 minutes ago: Mag. 4.2, New Guinea, Papua New Guinea',html,'quakes-6-24.png',25,25,12,12,125]); function mkRep(id,notFelt){var nFelt=notFelt||false;var src="https://www.volcanoesandearthquakes.com/app/earthquake-report.php?quakeId="+id;if(nFelt==true){src+="¬Felt=true";}window.open(src,"","status=0,toolbar=0,location=0,directories=0,menubar=0,resizable=1,scrollbars=1,height=400,width=350");} function locationHashChanged(e){-1!=e.oldURL.indexOf("#popupMap")&&closePopup()} window.onhashchange = locationHashChanged; function comment(e){var t=e.parentNode,a=(t.dataset.id,document.getElementById("commentForm"));"none"==a.style.display?(t.appendChild(a),a.style.display="block"):a.style.display="none"}function sendComment(e){var t=e.parentNode,a=t.parentNode.dataset.id,n=document.getElementById("commentContent"),p=n.value.trim();if(p){var o="id="+a+"&quakeId="+thisQuakeId;o+="&comment="+decodeURIComponent(p),mkRequest("//reports.volcanodiscovery.com/app/eqReportComment.php","post",o,function(e){e.responseText;alert("Thank you for submitting your comment!"),t.style.display="none",n.value=""})}}function flagReport(e){var t=e.parentNode.dataset.id;if(confirm("Report this as inappropriate?")){var a="id="+t+"&quakeId="+thisQuakeId+"&flagAsInappropriate=1";mkRequest("//reports.volcanodiscovery.com/app/eqReportComment.php","post",a,function(t){var a=t.responseText;alert(a),e.style.display="none"})}}function likeReport(e){var t="id="+e.parentNode.dataset.id+"&quakeId="+thisQuakeId+"&like=1";mkRequest("//reports.volcanodiscovery.com/app/eqReportComment.php","post",t,function(t){t.responseText;e.style.opacity=.5})}]]>[smaller] [bigger]Most recent quakes Top 20 past 24 hrs Quakes in Papua New GuineaNearby placesThe closest larger town where the quake might have been felt is Mendi, a town with 26,000 inhabitants in Papua New Guinea, in 54 km (33 mi) distance northeast of the epicenter. People likely experienced weak shaking there. In the capital of Papua New Guinea, Port Moresby, 546 km (340 mi) away from the epicenter, the earthquake could not be felt.The following table shows some of the places that might have been affected (or not) by the shaking.DistancePlaceMax. shaking intensity(*)RegionCountry54 km (33 mi)NE of epicenterMendi(pop: 26,300)III: WeakSouthern Highlands ProvincePapua New Guinea69 km (43 mi)NW of epicenterTari(pop: 8,190)III: WeakPapua New Guinea83 km (51 mi)E of epicenterIalibu(pop: 6,920)II: Very weakSouthern Highlands ProvincePapua New Guinea108 km (67 mi)N of epicenterPorgera(pop: 1,580)II: Very weakEnga ProvincePapua New Guinea116 km (72 mi)NE of epicenterWabag(pop: 3,960)II: Very weakEnga ProvincePapua New Guinea125 km (78 mi)NE of epicenterMount Hagen(pop: 33,600)II: Very weakWestern Highlands ProvincePapua New Guinea136 km (84 mi)NE of epicenterLaiagam(pop: 921)II: Very weakEnga ProvincePapua New Guinea194 km (121 mi)E of epicenterKundiawa(pop: 9,380)II: Very weakChimbu ProvincePapua New Guinea220 km (137 mi)W of epicenterKiunga(pop: 11,500)II: Very weakWestern ProvincePapua New Guinea225 km (140 mi)NW of epicenterOlsobip(pop: 1000)II: Very weakWestern ProvincePapua New Guinea238 km (148 mi)E of epicenterGoroka(pop: 18,500)I: Not feltEastern Highlands ProvincePapua New Guinea251 km (156 mi)N of epicenterAmbunti(pop: 2,070)I: Not feltEast Sepik ProvincePapua New Guinea278 km (173 mi)N of epicenterAngoram(pop: 1,600)I: Not feltEast Sepik ProvincePapua New Guinea288 km (179 mi)E of epicenterKainantu(pop: 8,510)I: Not feltEastern Highlands ProvincePapua New Guinea295 km (183 mi)S of epicenterDaru(pop: 15,200)I: Not feltWestern ProvincePapua New Guinea310 km (193 mi)NE of epicenterMadang(pop: 27,400)I: Not feltMadang ProvincePapua New Guinea310 km (193 mi)SW of epicenterMorehead(pop: 2,250)I: Not feltWestern ProvincePapua New Guinea323 km (201 mi)N of epicenterWewak(pop: 18,200)I: Not feltEast Sepik ProvincePapua New Guinea325 km (202 mi)SE of epicenterKerema(pop: 5,650)I: Not feltGulf ProvincePapua New Guinea390 km (242 mi)SW of epicenterMerauke(pop: 102,400)I: Not feltSouth PapuaIndonesia546 km (340 mi)SE of epicenterPort Moresby(pop: 283,700)I: Not feltNational Capital DistrictPapua New GuineaNotes:(*) Shaking intensity according to the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale (MMI) and estimated using seismic models.User-reports for this quakeThere are no user reports for this quake yet.If you felt it, be the first to report it!Compare Quake DataData for the same earthquake as reported by different agenciesThe more agencies report about the same quake and post similar data, the more confidence you can have in the data. It takes normally up to a few hours until earthquake parameters are calculated with near-optimum precision.MagDepthTime GMT2025-07-15EpicenterAgency4.210 km6.2 mi(*)18:51:11New Guinea, Papua New GuineaBMKG (Meteorological, Climatological, and Geophysical Agency of Indonesia)4.210 km6.2 mi(*)18:51:11NEW GUINEA, PAPUA NEW GUINEA0 km (0 mi) epicenter difference with BMKGEMSC (European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre)Notes:(*) A depth given as 10 km often means that the the depth of the quake could be not determined with sufficient accuracy.Aftershocks for this quakeNo aftershocks have been recorded so far. When aftershocks are detected, we will update this section.What are aftershocks?Larger earthquakes (above magnitude 5 or so) such as this one are usually followed by smaller ones known as aftershocks that occur in the same area during the days, weeks, months or even years after the main shock.[More info]What about this quake?Based on its magnitude, the fault that was active during the quake likely ruptured beneath a surface area of approximately 2 km2 (1 square miles) as a first-order estimate. The length of the rupture zone thus was probably around 2 km (1 mi).[More info]Recorded aftershocks, latest first (0 quake)Jul 16, 2025 04:51 am (Port Moresby)15 minutes ago4.210 km0 km - This quake54 km SW of Mendi, Southern Highlands Province, Papua New GuineaMain Shock (this quake)MoreMap of aftershocksEarthquake statisticsAverage number of earthquakesBased on data from the past 25 years and our earthquake archive back to 1900, there are about 49 quakes on average per year in the area near the epicenter of this quake (within 100 km/61 mi):Mag. 6 or higher: 0.06 quakes per year (or 1 quake every 15.6 years)Mag. 5 or higher: 3.5 quakes per yearMag. 4 or higher: 41 quakes per year (or 3.4 quakes per month)Mag. 3 or higher: 43 quakes per year (or 3.6 quakes per month)Mag. 2 or higher: 43 quakes per year (or 3.6 quakes per month)The area where this quake occurred has a high level of seismic activity. It has had at least 8 quakes above magnitude 6 since 1900, which suggests that larger earthquakes of this size occur infrequently, probably on average approximately every 15 to 20 years.Number of quakes per yearPrevious quakes in the same area of this earthquakeThe earthquake occurred 7 weeks after a magnitude 4.6 earthquake had hit on Thursday, May 29, 2025, at 09:37 pm (GMT +10 local time) in 55 km (34 mi) distance to the west:Mag. 4.6 earthquake Southern Highlands Province - Hela, Papua New Guinea - May 29, 2025 - The strongest-ever (since 1900) recorded quake in this area measured magnitude 7.5. It had occurred 7 years ago earlier, on Monday, Feb 26, 2018, at 03:44 am local time (Pacific/Port Moresby GMT +10) in 27 km southwest of Tari, Papua New Guinea:Mag. 7.5 earthquake 27 km southwest of Tari - Papua New Guinea - Feb 26, 2018 - Below is a list and map of larger or recent quakes that had occurred near the epicenter before this earthquake (within up to 100 km/61 mi distance, up to 300 km/183 mi for very large quakes above mag. 7). Filter and sort the list by magnitude or time.Max results102050100AllMagnitudeAll2+3+4+5+6+7+8+Time before48 hours1 week30 days1 year5 years30 yearsAny ageDate and TimeMagDepthDistanceLocationDetailsMapMay 29, 09:37 pm (GMT +10)4.610 km55 km (34 mi) to the WSouthern Highlands Province, 66 km south of Tari, Hela, Papua New Guinea 1 reportInfoMay 16, 06:00 am (Port Moresby)4.75 km38 km (23 mi) to the E 20 km southwest of Mendi, Southern Highlands Province, Papua New GuineaInfoMay 2, 07:42 am (Port Moresby)4.7163 km82 km (51 mi) to the WWestern Province, 59 km southwest of Tari, Papua New GuineaInfoApr 26, 09:17 pm (Port Moresby)4.510 km60 km (37 mi) to the NHela, 51 km northwest of Mendi, Southern Highlands Province, Papua New GuineaInfoJan 26, 11:52 pm (Port Moresby)4.810 km35 km (22 mi) to the E 31 km south of Mendi, Southern Highlands Province, Papua New GuineaInfoApr 3, 2023 04:04 am (Port Moresby)7.070 km235 km (146 mi) to the N 40 km ESE of Ambunti, Papua New Guinea 109 reportsInfoSep 9, 2022 11:12 pm (Port Moresby)5.210 km68 km (42 mi) to the NWHela, 18 km southwest of Tari, Papua New Guinea 2 reportsInfoDec 17, 2020 02:08 am (Port Moresby)5.214 km12 km (7.7 mi) to the NW 61 km southwest of Mendi, Southern Highlands Province, Papua New Guinea 2 reportsInfoApr 7, 2018 12:56 pm (Port Moresby)5.510 km66 km (41 mi) to the W 59 km southwest of Tari, Papua New GuineaInfoMar 7, 2018 12:13 am (Port Moresby)6.720 km73 km (45 mi) to the W 57 km southwest of Tari, Papua New Guinea 9 reportsInfoMar 5, 2018 05:56 am (Port Moresby)6.010 km74 km (46 mi) to the W 60 km southwest of Tari, Papua New GuineaInfoMar 5, 2018 12:33 am (Port Moresby)5.76 km72 km (44 mi) to the NW 30 km southwest of Tari, Papua New GuineaInfoFeb 28, 2018 12:45 pm (Port Moresby)6.116 km92 km (57 mi) to the W 60 km southwest of Tari, Papua New GuineaInfoFeb 27, 2018 04:19 pm (Port Moresby)5.712 km25 km (16 mi) to the W 74 km southwest of Mendi, Southern Highlands Province, Papua New GuineaInfoFeb 27, 2018 01:18 am (Port Moresby)6.319 km8.4 km (5.2 mi) to the S 60 km southwest of Mendi, Southern Highlands Province, Papua New Guinea 1 reportInfoFeb 26, 2018 09:56 pm (Port Moresby)5.822 km33 km (20 mi) to the E 41 km south of Mendi, Southern Highlands Province, Papua New GuineaInfoFeb 26, 2018 06:26 pm (Port Moresby)5.99 km3.4 km (2.1 mi) to the N 52 km southwest of Mendi, Southern Highlands Province, Papua New GuineaInfoFeb 26, 2018 03:44 am (Port Moresby)7.525 km69 km (43 mi) to the NW 27 km southwest of Tari, Papua New Guinea 16 reportsInfoJul 29, 2014 09:00 am (Port Moresby)5.628 km87 km (54 mi) to the SE New Guinea, Papua New Guinea 1 reportInfoJun 2, 2004 07:10 am (Port Moresby)5.4335 km69 km (43 mi) to the SEGulf Province, 89 km south of Mendi, Papua New GuineaInfoJan 17, 2002 03:05 am (Port Moresby)5.410 km86 km (54 mi) to the NWWestern Province, 46 km southwest of Tari, Papua New GuineaInfoMar 20, 2000 11:25 am (Port Moresby)5.133 km90 km (56 mi) to the SEGulf Province, 95 km south of Mendi, Papua New GuineaInfoMar 20, 2000 05:22 am (Port Moresby)5.135 km79 km (49 mi) to the SEGulf Province, 79 km south of Mendi, Papua New GuineaInfoMar 11, 2000 05:44 am (Port Moresby)5.410 km64 km (39 mi) to the SE 66 km south of Mendi, Southern Highlands Province, Papua New GuineaInfoMar 4, 2000 08:22 am (Port Moresby)6.610 km74 km (46 mi) to the SE 76 km south of Mendi, Southern Highlands Province, Papua New GuineaInfoAug 23, 1994 02:50 pm (Port Moresby)5.333 km25 km (16 mi) to the SE 57 km southwest of Mendi, Southern Highlands Province, Papua New GuineaInfoAug 20, 1993 03:06 pm (Port Moresby)6.215 km75 km (46 mi) to the NWHela, 24 km southwest of Tari, Papua New GuineaInfoJan 1, 1993 06:58 pm (Port Moresby)5.223 km88 km (55 mi) to the SE 77 km southeast of Mendi, Southern Highlands Province, Papua New GuineaInfoJun 24, 1986 01:11 pm (Port Moresby)7.2102 km233 km (145 mi) to the N 106 km south of Wewak, East Sepik Province, Papua New GuineaInfoApr 26, 1985 01:49 am (Port Moresby)5.233 km51 km (32 mi) to the SEGulf Province, 79 km south of Mendi, Papua New GuineaInfoSep 10, 1978 03:37 am (Port Moresby)5.20 km59 km (37 mi) to the SEGulf Province, 83 km south of Mendi, Papua New GuineaInfoJul 17, 1978 08:13 am (Port Moresby)5.533 km62 km (39 mi) to the E 54 km south of Mendi, Southern Highlands Province, Papua New GuineaInfoNov 12, 1977 07:54 am (Port Moresby)5.433 km62 km (39 mi) to the SEGulf Province, 79 km south of Mendi, Papua New GuineaInfoSep 6, 1977 06:52 pm (Port Moresby)5.633 km44 km (27 mi) to the NWHela, 64 km west of Mendi, Southern Highlands Province, Papua New GuineaInfoApr 16, 1969 03:50 am (Port Moresby)5.330 km35 km (22 mi) to the W 84 km west of Mendi, Southern Highlands Province, Papua New GuineaInfoSep 6, 1968 03:02 am (Port Moresby)5.725 km58 km (36 mi) to the W 100 km west of Mendi, Southern Highlands Province, Papua New GuineaInfoJun 9, 1925 01:40 pm (Universal Time)7.025 km258 km (161 mi) to the N 65 km south of Wewak, East Sepik Province, Papua New GuineaInfoJan 19, 1922 09:58 pm (Universal Time)6.915 km81 km (51 mi) to the SGulf Province, 108 km south of Mendi, Papua New GuineaInfoMap of earlier quakes in the area of this quakeMax results102050100AllMagnitudeAll2+3+4+5+6+7+8+Time before48 hours1 week30 days1 year5 years30 yearsAny ageOldest quakes are shown in yellow, most recent in red.[quakes -][quakes +][smaller][bigger]