Earthquake.now

M5.9 Earthquake near Madang, Papua New Guinea — 20 January 2026

A moderate earthquake of magnitude 5.9 was recorded near Madang, Papua New Guinea on , with an epicentre 23 km east-southeast of Madang, at a focal depth of 90.0 km. It ranked as the 3rd strongest of 29 earthquakes recorded in Papua New Guinea in the preceding 30 days.

5.9 Moderate

Time (UTC): 2026-01-20 07:21:58

Time (your timezone): —

Magnitude: 5.9 (moderate)

Focal depth: 90.0 km (intermediate)

Epicentre: -5.2807, 145.9950

Location: 23 km ESE of Madang, 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 5.9 earthquake radiates roughly 10,676 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

The USGS assigns this earthquake a significance score of 537, 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 17:05 local solar time at the epicentre, during the afternoon.

This event was deeper than 67% of the 548 earthquakes recorded in Papua New Guinea in our catalogue and stronger than 97% of them.

Where was the epicentre?

The epicentre was located at -5.2807, 145.9950 — 23 km east-southeast of Madang. The closest other recorded event was a magnitude 5.5 earthquake 10 km west-northwest of here on 25 February 2026.

The nearest other settlements in our records are Goroka (89 km southwest), Kainantu (130 km south-southeast), Aiome (135 km west) and Kundiawa (137 km southwest).

Why the 90 km depth matters

At 90 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 can be felt widely and may cause minor local damage. 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 M5.9 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

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

125 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 M5.9 event released about 16 times less energy than that event.

23 earthquakes have been recorded within 100 km of this epicentre in the past year, 1 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 2026 worldwide record, and of earthquakes in Papua New Guinea during January 2026. 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 Madang?

It measured magnitude 5.9 — a moderate earthquake. A magnitude 5.9 earthquake radiates roughly 10,676 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

How deep was the earthquake near Madang?

The focus was 90 km below the surface, which counts as intermediate.

Was the Madang earthquake felt at the surface?

At magnitude 5.9 and a focal depth of 90 km, the depth spreads the energy out, so shaking is weaker overhead but reaches further.

When did the earthquake near Madang happen?

20 January 2026 at 07:21 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 Madang?

125 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 M5.9 event released about 16 times less energy than that event.