Earthquake.now

M5.0 Earthquake near Vanimo Government Station, Papua New Guinea — 15 January 2025

A moderate earthquake of magnitude 5.0 was recorded near Vanimo Government Station, Papua New Guinea on , with an epicentre 24 km southeast of Vanimo, at a focal depth of 27.0 km. It ranked as the 7th strongest of 27 earthquakes recorded in Papua New Guinea in the preceding 30 days.

5.0 Moderate

Time (UTC): 2025-01-15 02:08:41

Time (your timezone): —

Magnitude: 5.0 (moderate)

Focal depth: 27.0 km (shallow)

Epicentre: -2.8196, 141.4750

Location: 24 km SE of Vanimo, 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?

Moderate earthquakes can damage poorly built or unreinforced structures near the epicentre, while well-engineered buildings typically escape serious harm. Shaking is often strong enough to wake sleeping residents over a wide area.

A magnitude 5.0 earthquake radiates roughly 477 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

The USGS assigns this earthquake a significance score of 385, 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 11:34 local solar time at the epicentre, during the morning.

This event was shallower than 60% of the 551 earthquakes recorded in Papua New Guinea in our catalogue and stronger than 66% of them.

Where was the epicentre?

The epicentre was located at -2.8196, 141.4750 — 24 km southeast of Vanimo. The closest other recorded event was a magnitude 4.8 earthquake 14 km east of here on 08 February 2025.

The nearest other settlements in our records are Vanimo (111 km south-southwest), Aitape (120 km south-southeast), Jayapura (128 km northwest) and Abepura (205 km southwest).

Why the 27 km depth matters

At 27 km this was a shallow earthquake. Shallow events release their energy close to the surface, so for a given magnitude they produce noticeably stronger shaking — and more damage — than deeper ones. Roughly three quarters of all earthquakes worldwide occur at shallow depths.

This catalogue does not ingest eyewitness responses, so it cannot confirm where this earthquake was felt. Based on magnitude alone, an event this size can be felt widely and may cause minor local damage. Its shallow focus makes stronger surface shaking more likely than for a deeper 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 M5.0 it falls below the magnitude 6.5 threshold that generally applies before a submarine earthquake displaces enough water to generate a damaging tsunami; 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

1 further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event, the largest of them magnitude 4.7.

54 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 5.4 event near Vanimo on 03 May 2025. This M5.0 event released about 4.0 times less energy than that event.

1 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 January 2025 worldwide record, and of earthquakes in Papua New Guinea during January 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 5 earthquakes worldwide

All magnitude 5 earthquakes →

Questions about this earthquake

How strong was the earthquake near Vanimo Government Station?

It measured magnitude 5.0 — a moderate earthquake. A magnitude 5.0 earthquake radiates roughly 477 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

How deep was the earthquake near Vanimo Government Station?

The focus was 27 km below the surface, which counts as shallow.

Was the Vanimo Government Station earthquake felt at the surface?

At magnitude 5.0 and a focal depth of 27 km, shaking would have been concentrated near the epicentre.

When did the earthquake near Vanimo Government Station happen?

15 January 2025 at 02:08 UTC.

Was there a tsunami?

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

Have there been aftershocks?

1 further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event, the largest of them magnitude 4.7.

How often do earthquakes happen near Vanimo Government Station?

54 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 5.4 event near Vanimo on 03 May 2025. This M5.0 event released about 4.0 times less energy than that event.