USGS · August 15, 2026

Magnitude 5.3 earthquake — 47 km S of Angoram, Papua New Guinea

A magnitude 5.3 earthquake was recorded near 47 km S of Angoram, Papua New Guinea on Aug 15, 2026, 09:10 PM (local time at the epicentre — UTC+10), at a depth of about 112.1 km, according to USGS.

USGSFelt by 1 person · community intensity III (weak)Shaking IVPAGER GreenIntermediate (70–300 km)Reviewed by a seismologist

Updated 2026-09-04 18:17 UTC

The full record

Magnitude
M 5.3 · body-wave magnitude
Location
47 km S of Angoram, Papua New Guinea
Local time at the epicentre
Aug 15, 2026, 09:10 PM — UTC+10
Time (UTC)
2026-08-15 11:10 UTC
Depth
112.1 km · Intermediate (70–300 km)
Coordinates
-4.490, 144.002
Felt reports
Felt by 1 person · community intensity III (weak)
Estimated shaking
IV · Light
PAGER impact alert
Green — No casualties or significant damage expected.
Tsunami
No tsunami evaluation was flagged for this earthquake.
Significance
432 / 1000 · notable event
Solution quality
53 seismic stations used · 57° azimuthal gap (well-constrained epicentre)
Review status
Reviewed by a seismologist
Catalog
USGS

Open the official catalog record

Epicentre and nearby recent earthquakes

The highlighted circle is this earthquake. Smaller circles are other events recorded nearby in the last 30 days.

What the shaking was like

At this depth the energy spreads out before it reaches the surface, so shaking is usually weaker but felt over a wider area.

Estimated instrumental shaking IV (Light): Felt indoors by many; dishes and windows rattle and parked cars rock.

People who reported it described intensity III (Weak): Felt indoors; hanging objects swing, like a passing truck.

Felt it yourself? USGS collects first-hand reports through “Did You Feel It?”, and those reports are what produce the community intensity above.

Who lives nearby

About 0 people live in towns within 30 km of the epicentre, and 0 within 100 km. Distances are from the epicentre to the town centre.

PlaceDistancePopulation
Angoram Village49.4 km N

Earthquake history in this area

No earthquake of magnitude 4.5+ has been recorded within 200 km of this epicentre since 1960.

Other earthquakes near this epicentre

1 other event within 100 km in the last 30 days.

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Frequently asked questions

How strong was the 47 km S of Angoram, Papua New Guinea earthquake?

Magnitude 5.3 (body-wave magnitude), at a depth of 112.1 km. At this depth the energy spreads out before it reaches the surface, so shaking is usually weaker but felt over a wider area.

Exactly when did it happen?

Aug 15, 2026, 09:10 PM (local time at the epicentre — UTC+10). In universal time: 2026-08-15 11:10 UTC.

Was it felt?

Felt by 1 person · community intensity III (weak). Felt indoors by many; dishes and windows rattle and parked cars rock.

Was there a tsunami warning?

No tsunami evaluation was flagged for this earthquake.

Which towns are closest to the epicentre?

The closest is Angoram Village, 49.4 km N.

Are earthquakes normal in this area?

1 further events were recorded within 100 km of the epicentre in the last 30 days.

How do I get alerts for the next earthquake here?

Install the free SeismoWatch Android app, draw a box over this area, set a minimum magnitude, and turn alerts on.

About this page

Event data: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) and, in Venezuela, FUNVISIS. Populated places and time zones: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). Preliminary solutions are revised as more observations arrive.