M4.3 Earthquake 180 km NNE of Rabaul, Papua New Guinea — July 17, 2026
2026-07-17 21:10:51 UTC (2026-07-17) · approx. 7:10 AM UTC+10 local
On July 17, 2026 at 21:10 UTC, a magnitude 4.3 shallow crustal earthquake struck 180 km NNE of Rabaul, Papua New Guinea, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates -2.7370°, 152.8766°.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.3 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 43 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 558 m — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
Earthquake Details
152.8766°E
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Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.3 earthquake near Rabaul, Papua New Guinea?
The magnitude 4.3 earthquake that struck 180 km NNE of Rabaul, Papua New Guinea on July 17, 2026 at 21:10 UTC had a depth of 10.0 km. For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.3 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.
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Understanding This Data
Magnitude 4.3 earthquakes are often felt but rarely cause damage.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000t2rg). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2026, July 17, 2026). M4.3 Earthquake 180 km NNE of Rabaul, Papua New Guinea — July 17, 2026. Retrieved September 18, 2026 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000t2rg/