M4.4 Earthquake near New Guinea, Papua New Guinea — April 8, 2023
2023-04-08 22:35:48 UTC (2023-04-08) · approx. 8:35 AM UTC+10 local
On April 8, 2023 at 22:35 UTC, a magnitude 4.4 intermediate depth earthquake struck near New Guinea, Papua New Guinea, at a depth of 90.7 km and coordinates -4.4873°, 143.2343°.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.4 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 60 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 655 m — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
This earthquake is part of an ongoing aftershock sequence following the magnitude 5.4 mainshock that occurred 20 days ago 33 km ESE of Ambunti, Papua New Guinea. Since the mainshock, the USGS has recorded 0 aftershocks in this area. Aftershock activity is expected to continue for days to weeks as stresses on surrounding faults redistribute.
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 1 citizen response to the USGS Did You Feel It? system. Each colored zone represents the average MMI from reports in that area.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey Did You Feel It?. View on USGS · submit your own report
Earthquake Details
143.2343°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.4 earthquake near New Guinea, Papua New Guinea?
The magnitude 4.4 earthquake that struck near New Guinea, Papua New Guinea on April 8, 2023 at 22:35 UTC had a depth of 90.7 km. For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.4 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.
Is this the same earthquake as the M5.4 one earlier?
No. This magnitude 4.4 earthquake is an aftershock of the larger magnitude 5.4 mainshock that occurred earlier 33 km ESE of Ambunti, Papua New Guinea. Aftershocks are smaller earthquakes triggered by stress changes from the mainshock.
Actions
Understanding This Data
Magnitude 4.4 earthquakes are often felt but rarely cause damage.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000k2x9). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2023, April 8, 2023). M4.4 Earthquake near New Guinea, Papua New Guinea — April 8, 2023. Retrieved June 13, 2023 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000k2x9/