M5.4 Earthquake 68 km NNE of Kainantu, Papua New Guinea — September 20, 2026
2026-09-20 12:45:53 UTC (1 hour ago) · approx. 10:45 PM UTC+10 local
Felt by 6 people across nearby locations. Aftershock of the M6.4 mainshock.
On September 20, 2026 at 12:45 UTC, a magnitude 5.4 intermediate depth earthquake struck 68 km NNE of Kainantu, Papua New Guinea, at a depth of 116.0 km and coordinates -5.7711°, 146.2041°. The earthquake was reported felt by 6 peopleacross nearby locations, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 3.8 (light). The USGS PAGER system issued a green alert level for this event, indicating no significant casualties or damage expected. This earthquake was detected by 82 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 451, placing it among routine seismic activity. The nearest populated place is Madang (population 62,023).
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.4 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 2 kilotons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 3.2 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 6.4 mainshock that occurred 5 hours ago 49 km NNE of Kainantu, Papua New Guinea. Since the mainshock, the USGS has recorded 1 aftershocks in this area. Aftershock activity is expected to continue for weeks to months 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
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 6 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 3 | weak | 973,654 |
| MMI 4 | light | 302,721 |
Earthquake Details
146.2041°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.4 earthquake near Kainantu, Papua New Guinea?
The magnitude 5.4 earthquake that struck 68 km NNE of Kainantu, Papua New Guinea on September 20, 2026 at 12:45 UTC had a depth of 116.0 km. It was felt by 6 people with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 3.8 (light). For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at -5.7711°, 146.2041°, which is 68 km NNE of Kainantu, Papua New Guinea. The nearest populated place is Madang (population 62,023). View all earthquakes in Papua New Guinea.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.4 earthquakes can continue for days to weeks and gradually diminish over time.
Is this the same earthquake as the M6.4 one earlier?
No. This magnitude 5.4 earthquake is an aftershock of the larger magnitude 6.4 mainshock that occurred earlier 49 km NNE of Kainantu, 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 5.4 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000tirh). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2026, September 20, 2026). M5.4 Earthquake 68 km NNE of Kainantu, Papua New Guinea — September 20, 2026. Retrieved September 20, 2026 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000tirh/