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M4.7 Earthquake near Panguna, Papua New Guinea — 18 December 2025

A light earthquake of magnitude 4.7 was recorded near Panguna, Papua New Guinea on , with an epicentre 113 km west-northwest of Panguna, at a focal depth of 409.3 km.

4.7 Light

Time (UTC): 2025-12-18 22:35:29

Time (your timezone): —

Magnitude: 4.7 (light)

Focal depth: 409.3 km (deep)

Epicentre: -6.0924, 154.4800

Location: 113 km WNW of Panguna, Papua New Guinea

USGS link to NOAA tsunami information: Not linked

Review status: Reviewed

Source: USGS event page

How strong was this earthquake?

Light earthquakes are widely felt near the epicentre and can rattle windows, dishes and hanging objects. Damage is uncommon and usually limited to cracked plaster or fallen loose items.

A magnitude 4.7 earthquake radiates roughly 169 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

The USGS assigns this earthquake a significance score of 340, which is below the USGS threshold of more than 600 for its significant-earthquake list. The ranking combines magnitude with available Did You Feel It responses and PAGER alert level; it is not a direct measurement of damage.

What the magnitude scale actually measures →

Where was the epicentre?

The epicentre was located at -6.0924, 154.4800 — 113 km west-northwest of Panguna. The closest other recorded event was a magnitude 4.4 earthquake 16 km east-northeast of here on 13 June 2026.

Why the 409 km depth matters

At 409 km this was a deep-focus earthquake, occurring well inside the subducting slab rather than in the crust. Deep events are rarely damaging even at large magnitudes, though they can be felt over very long distances.

This catalogue does not ingest eyewitness responses, so it cannot confirm where this earthquake was felt. Based on magnitude alone, an event this size is often felt across the surrounding area. Its deep focus normally weakens surface shaking while spreading perceptible motion over a broad area.

Read more on how focal depth changes what you feel →

What does the tsunami information flag mean?

The USGS record does not carry a link to NOAA tsunami information. That field is not an all-clear and does not state whether a tsunami occurred. In this case, a damaging tsunami would be less likely because at M4.7 it falls below the magnitude 6.5 threshold that generally applies before a submarine earthquake displaces enough water to generate a damaging tsunami; its 409 km focal depth is too great to deform the sea floor significantly; it occurred inland rather than beneath the sea floor. For an active coastal alert, use tsunami.gov or your local warning authority.

How earthquakes generate tsunamis, and what the alert levels mean →

Aftershocks and local seismic history

No further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event.

101 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 6.2 event near Kokopo on 12 April 2025. This M4.7 event released about 178 times less energy than that event.

How long aftershock sequences last, and how large they get →

Where this event sits in the record

This earthquake is part of the December 2025 worldwide record. Browse the full monthly archive to compare periods.

Nearest recorded earthquakes to this epicentre

Other magnitude 4 earthquakes worldwide

All magnitude 4 earthquakes →

Questions about this earthquake

How strong is a magnitude 4.7 earthquake?

Light earthquakes are widely felt near the epicentre and can rattle windows, dishes and hanging objects. Damage is uncommon and usually limited to cracked plaster or fallen loose items. A magnitude 4.7 earthquake radiates roughly 169 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

How deep was the earthquake near Panguna?

At 409 km this was a deep-focus earthquake, occurring well inside the subducting slab rather than in the crust. Deep events are rarely damaging even at large magnitudes, though they can be felt over very long distances.

Was the M4.7 earthquake near Panguna felt?

This catalogue does not ingest eyewitness responses, so it cannot confirm where this earthquake was felt. Based on magnitude alone, an event this size is often felt across the surrounding area. Its deep focus normally weakens surface shaking while spreading perceptible motion over a broad area.

What does the USGS tsunami field mean for this event?

The USGS record does not carry a link to NOAA tsunami information. That field is not an all-clear and does not state whether a tsunami occurred. In this case, a damaging tsunami would be less likely because at M4.7 it falls below the magnitude 6.5 threshold that generally applies before a submarine earthquake displaces enough water to generate a damaging tsunami; its 409 km focal depth is too great to deform the sea floor significantly; it occurred inland rather than beneath the sea floor. For an active coastal alert, use tsunami.gov or your local warning authority.

Have there been aftershocks?

No further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event.

How often do earthquakes happen near Panguna?

101 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 6.2 event near Kokopo on 12 April 2025. This M4.7 event released about 178 times less energy than that event.