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M4.9 Earthquake near Kokoda, Papua New Guinea — 05 July 2025

A light earthquake of magnitude 4.9 was recorded near Kokoda, Papua New Guinea on , with an epicentre 102 km north-northwest of Kokoda, at a focal depth of 107.7 km. It ranked as the 10th strongest of 22 earthquakes recorded in Papua New Guinea in the preceding 30 days.

4.9 Light

Time (UTC): 2025-07-05 08:33:08

Time (your timezone): —

Magnitude: 4.9 (light)

Focal depth: 107.7 km (intermediate)

Epicentre: -7.9814, 147.5160

Location: 102 km NNW of Kokoda, Papua New Guinea

Country: 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 4.9 earthquake radiates roughly 338 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

The USGS assigns this earthquake a significance score of 369, 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 →

When it happened locally

That is about 18:23 local solar time at the epicentre, in the evening.

This event was deeper than 75% of the 549 earthquakes recorded in Papua New Guinea in our catalogue and stronger than 55% of them.

Where was the epicentre?

The epicentre was located at -7.9814, 147.5160 — 102 km north-northwest of Kokoda. The closest other recorded event was a magnitude 5.0 earthquake 76 km north of here on 30 May 2026.

The nearest other settlements in our records are Lae (76 km north), Finschhafen (85 km north-northeast), Bulolo (147 km northwest) and Popondetta (176 km east-southeast).

Why the 108 km depth matters

At 108 km this was an intermediate-depth earthquake. Energy from events at this depth spreads out before it reaches the surface, which usually means weaker shaking near the epicentre than a shallow quake of the same magnitude, but shaking felt across a wider area.

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 intermediate depth normally reduces peak shaking near the epicentre compared with a shallow event of the same magnitude.

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 M4.9 it falls below the magnitude 6.5 threshold that generally applies before a submarine earthquake displaces enough water to generate a damaging tsunami; its 108 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.

69 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 6.7 event near Lae on 07 October 2025. This M4.9 event released about 501 times less energy than that event.

2 earthquakes have been recorded within 100 km of this epicentre in the past year, 0 of them in the past 30 days.

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

Where this event sits in the record

This earthquake is part of the July 2025 worldwide record, and of earthquakes in Papua New Guinea during July 2025. Browse the full monthly archive to compare periods.

Nearest recorded earthquakes to this epicentre

Other recent earthquakes in Papua New Guinea

All recorded earthquakes in Papua New Guinea →

Other magnitude 4 earthquakes worldwide

All magnitude 4 earthquakes →

Questions about this earthquake

How strong was the earthquake near Kokoda?

It measured magnitude 4.9 — a light earthquake. A magnitude 4.9 earthquake radiates roughly 338 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

How deep was the earthquake near Kokoda?

The focus was 108 km below the surface, which counts as intermediate.

Was the Kokoda earthquake felt at the surface?

At magnitude 4.9 and a focal depth of 108 km, the depth spreads the energy out, so shaking is weaker overhead but reaches further.

When did the earthquake near Kokoda happen?

05 July 2025 at 08:33 UTC.

Was there a tsunami?

No. The USGS record carries no tsunami-information link for this event.

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 Kokoda?

69 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 6.7 event near Lae on 07 October 2025. This M4.9 event released about 501 times less energy than that event.