M5.5 Earthquake 76 km SSE of Panguna, Papua New Guinea — November 16, 2020
2020-11-16 22:45:22 UTC (2020-11-16) · approx. 8:45 AM UTC+10 local
Maximum shaking intensity MMI 4.5 (moderate).
On November 16, 2020 at 22:45 UTC, a magnitude 5.5 shallow crustal earthquake struck 76 km SSE of Panguna, Papua New Guinea, at a depth of 33.0 km and coordinates -6.9620°, 155.7366°. The USGS PAGER system issued a green alert level for this event, indicating no significant casualties or damage expected. The nearest populated place is Buka (population 0).
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.5 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 3 kilotons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 3.8 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
Nearest Populated Places
ShakeMap — predicted shaking intensity
Modeled ground-motion intensity contoured on the Modified Mercalli scale (MMI). Computed by the USGS from the moment-tensor solution and regional ground-motion prediction equations.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey ShakeMap. View interactive ShakeMap on USGS
Population exposure (USGS PAGER)
Estimated population that experienced each level of shaking. Based on the USGS PAGER rapid impact assessment, which combines ShakeMap output with global population grids.
| Shaking intensity (MMI) | Description | Population exposed |
|---|---|---|
| MMI 3 | weak | 196,045 |
| MMI 4 | light | 76,163 |
Earthquake Details
155.7366°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.5 earthquake near Panguna, Papua New Guinea?
The magnitude 5.5 earthquake that struck 76 km SSE of Panguna, Papua New Guinea on November 16, 2020 at 22:45 UTC had a depth of 33.0 km. For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at -6.9620°, 155.7366°, which is 76 km SSE of Panguna, Papua New Guinea. The nearest populated place is Buka (population 0). View all earthquakes in Papua New Guinea.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.5 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 5.5 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000cfwd). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2020, November 16, 2020). M5.5 Earthquake 76 km SSE of Panguna, Papua New Guinea — November 16, 2020. Retrieved December 22, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000cfwd/