M6.4 Earthquake 49 km NNE of Kainantu, Papua New Guinea — September 20, 2026
2026-09-20 09:17:35 UTC (1 hour ago) · approx. 7:17 PM UTC+10 local
Felt by 21 people across nearby locations. Maximum shaking intensity MMI 5.2 (strong).
On September 20, 2026 at 09:17 UTC, a magnitude 6.4 intermediate depth earthquake struck 49 km NNE of Kainantu, Papua New Guinea, at a depth of 104.3 km and coordinates -5.9021°, 146.0922°. The earthquake was reported felt by 21 peopleacross nearby locations, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 5.2 (strong). The USGS PAGER system issued a green alert level for this event, indicating no significant casualties or damage expected. This earthquake was detected by 91 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 642, making it a moderate-impact event. The nearest populated place is Kainantu (population 6,723).
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 6.4 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 60 kilotons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 16 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
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 21 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
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 4 | light | 1,050,634 |
| MMI 5 | moderate | 385,571 |
Earthquake Details
146.0922°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 6.4 earthquake near Kainantu, Papua New Guinea?
The magnitude 6.4 earthquake that struck 49 km NNE of Kainantu, Papua New Guinea on September 20, 2026 at 09:17 UTC had a depth of 104.3 km. It was felt by 21 people with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 5.2 (strong). For context, this was a strong earthquake capable of causing significant damage.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at -5.9021°, 146.0922°, which is 49 km NNE of Kainantu, Papua New Guinea. The nearest populated place is Kainantu (population 6,723). View all earthquakes in Papua New Guinea.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 6.4 earthquakes can continue for weeks to months 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 6.4 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000tiqc). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2026, September 20, 2026). M6.4 Earthquake 49 km NNE of Kainantu, Papua New Guinea — September 20, 2026. Retrieved September 20, 2026 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000tiqc/