M4.9 Earthquake 55 km SSE of Madang, Papua New Guinea — October 14, 2023
2023-10-14 05:56:08 UTC (2023-10-14) · approx. 3:56 PM UTC+10 local
Felt by 1 person across nearby locations.
On October 14, 2023 at 05:56 UTC, a magnitude 4.9 shallow crustal earthquake struck 55 km SSE of Madang, Papua New Guinea, at a depth of 55.7 km and coordinates -5.6676°, 146.0224°. This earthquake was detected by 100 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 370, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.9 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 338 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 1.4 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
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
146.0224°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.9 earthquake near Madang, Papua New Guinea?
The magnitude 4.9 earthquake that struck 55 km SSE of Madang, Papua New Guinea on October 14, 2023 at 05:56 UTC had a depth of 55.7 km. For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at -5.6676°, 146.0224°, which is 55 km SSE of Madang, 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 4.9 earthquakes can continue for several days 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 4.9 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000lfhj). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2023, October 14, 2023). M4.9 Earthquake 55 km SSE of Madang, Papua New Guinea — October 14, 2023. Retrieved December 16, 2023 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000lfhj/