M5.1 Earthquake 124 km N of Lae, Papua New Guinea — December 6, 2023
2023-12-06 11:17:58 UTC (2023-12-06) · approx. 9:17 PM UTC+10 local
Felt by 2 people across nearby locations. Aftershock of the M5.5 mainshock.
On December 6, 2023 at 11:17 UTC, a magnitude 5.1 intermediate depth earthquake struck 124 km N of Lae, Papua New Guinea, at a depth of 161.0 km and coordinates -5.6113°, 147.1624°. This earthquake was detected by 109 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.
This earthquake is part of an ongoing aftershock sequence following the magnitude 5.5 mainshock that occurred 6 days ago 116 km ESE of Madang, Papua New Guinea. Since the mainshock, the USGS has recorded 1 aftershocks in this area. Aftershock activity is expected to continue for days to weeks as stresses on surrounding faults redistribute.
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
147.1624°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.1 earthquake near Lae, Papua New Guinea?
The magnitude 5.1 earthquake that struck 124 km N of Lae, Papua New Guinea on December 6, 2023 at 11:17 UTC had a depth of 161.0 km. For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at -5.6113°, 147.1624°, which is 124 km N of Lae, 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.
Is this the same earthquake as the M5.5 one earlier?
No. This magnitude 5.1 earthquake is an aftershock of the larger magnitude 5.5 mainshock that occurred earlier 116 km ESE of Madang, Papua New Guinea. Aftershocks are smaller earthquakes triggered by stress changes from the mainshock.
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: us7000lgmk). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2023, December 6, 2023). M5.1 Earthquake 124 km N of Lae, Papua New Guinea — December 6, 2023. Retrieved February 10, 2024 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000lgmk/