5.0

M5.0 Earthquake 29 km SW of Kandrian, Papua New GuineaSeptember 1, 2025

2025-09-01 08:58:24 UTC (2025-09-01) · approx. 6:58 PM UTC+10 local

Felt by 1 person across nearby locations.

MagnitudeM5.0(mb)
Time08:58 UTC6:58 PM UTC+10
Depth33.0 kmshallow crustal
Coordinates-6.374°, 149.339°
Felt by1DYFI response
Status✓ Reviewed by USGS

On September 1, 2025 at 08:58 UTC, a magnitude 5.0 shallow crustal earthquake struck 29 km SW of Kandrian, Papua New Guinea, at a depth of 33.0 km and coordinates -6.3743°, 149.3391°. This earthquake was detected by 108 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 385, placing it among routine seismic activity.

Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.0 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 477 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 1.7 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

Map showing earthquake epicenter at -6.37°, 149.34°

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.

USGS DYFI community-reported intensity map for the M5.0 earthquake near 29 km SW of Kandrian, Papua New Guinea

Source: U.S. Geological Survey Did You Feel It?. View on USGS · submit your own report

Earthquake Details

Magnitude
5.0 mb
Depth
33.0 km
shallow crustal
Location
-6.3743°N
149.3391°E
Felt Reports
1
DYFI responses
Community Intensity
3.6
CDI from reports

Technical Information

Event ID
us7000qszd
Event Type
earthquake
Status
✓ Reviewed
Significance
385
Stations Used
108
Azimuthal Gap
29.0°
Min Station Distance
3.366°
RMS Residual
0.70 sec
Last Updated
2025-11-19 21:59:48 UTC

Common Questions

How strong was the magnitude 5.0 earthquake near Kandrian, Papua New Guinea?

The magnitude 5.0 earthquake that struck 29 km SW of Kandrian, Papua New Guinea on September 1, 2025 at 08:58 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 -6.3743°, 149.3391°, which is 29 km SW of Kandrian, 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 5.0 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 5.0 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.

Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000qszd). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.

Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2025, September 1, 2025). M5.0 Earthquake 29 km SW of Kandrian, Papua New GuineaSeptember 1, 2025. Retrieved November 19, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000qszd/