M5.1 Earthquake 42 km N of Kainantu, Papua New Guinea — March 17, 2025
2025-03-17 21:18:02 UTC (2025-03-17) · approx. 7:18 AM UTC+10 local
Felt by 2 people across nearby locations.
On March 17, 2025 at 21:18 UTC, a magnitude 5.1 shallow crustal earthquake struck 42 km N of Kainantu, Papua New Guinea, at a depth of 65.4 km and coordinates -5.9036°, 145.8589°. This earthquake was detected by 72 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 401, placing it among routine seismic activity.
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
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 2 citizen responses 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
145.8589°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.1 earthquake near Kainantu, Papua New Guinea?
The magnitude 5.1 earthquake that struck 42 km N of Kainantu, Papua New Guinea on March 17, 2025 at 21:18 UTC had a depth of 65.4 km. For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at -5.9036°, 145.8589°, which is 42 km N of Kainantu, 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: us6000pzf1). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2025, March 17, 2025). M5.1 Earthquake 42 km N of Kainantu, Papua New Guinea — March 17, 2025. Retrieved May 17, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000pzf1/