M4.9 Earthquake 37 km ENE of Lae, Papua New Guinea — March 27, 2024
2024-03-27 04:27:19 UTC (2024-03-27) · approx. 2:27 PM UTC+10 local
Felt by 3 people across nearby locations.
On March 27, 2024 at 04:27 UTC, a magnitude 4.9 shallow crustal earthquake struck 37 km ENE of Lae, Papua New Guinea, at a depth of 61.6 km and coordinates -6.5792°, 147.3053°. This earthquake was detected by 105 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 3 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
147.3053°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.9 earthquake near Lae, Papua New Guinea?
The magnitude 4.9 earthquake that struck 37 km ENE of Lae, Papua New Guinea on March 27, 2024 at 04:27 UTC had a depth of 61.6 km. For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at -6.5792°, 147.3053°, which is 37 km ENE 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 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: us7000m87p). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2024, March 27, 2024). M4.9 Earthquake 37 km ENE of Lae, Papua New Guinea — March 27, 2024. Retrieved June 1, 2024 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000m87p/