M5.1 Earthquake near near the north coast of New Guinea, Papua New Guinea — February 18, 2021
2021-02-18 17:50:57 UTC (2021-02-18) · approx. 3:50 AM UTC+10 local
On February 18, 2021 at 17:50 UTC, a magnitude 5.1 intermediate depth earthquake struck near near the north coast of New Guinea, Papua New Guinea, at a depth of 141.0 km and coordinates -4.3164°, 144.2314°.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.1 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 674 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 2.0 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
The epicenter is located in Papua New Guinea, a region characterized by the collision and subduction of the Pacific, Australian, and Solomon Sea plates. View all earthquakes in Papua New Guinea.
Learn more: Magnitude scale · Aftershock sequences
Earthquake Details
144.2314°E
Technical Information
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Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.1 earthquake near near the north coast of New Guinea, Papua New Guinea?
The magnitude 5.1 earthquake that struck near near the north coast of New Guinea, Papua New Guinea on February 18, 2021 at 17:50 UTC had a depth of 141.0 km. For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at -4.3164°, 144.2314°, which is near near the north coast of New Guinea, Papua New Guinea. View all earthquakes in Papua New Guinea.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.1 earthquakes can continue for days to weeks and gradually diminish over time.
Has Papua New Guinea had earthquakes this big before?
The largest recorded earthquake in Papua New Guinea was the M8.0 New Britain earthquake of July 18, 1971. Today's magnitude 5.1 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000dipr). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2021, February 18, 2021). M5.1 Earthquake near near the north coast of New Guinea, Papua New Guinea — February 18, 2021. Retrieved April 23, 2021 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000dipr/