M6.5 Earthquake near Goroka, Papua New Guinea — 22 December 2025
A strong earthquake of magnitude 6.5 was recorded near Goroka, Papua New Guinea on , with an epicentre 42 km north-northeast of Goroka, at a focal depth of 110.2 km.
Time (UTC): 2025-12-22 10:31:28
Time (your timezone): —
Magnitude: 6.5 (strong)
Focal depth: 110.2 km (intermediate)
Epicentre: -5.7199, 145.4950
Location: 42 km NNE of Goroka, Papua New Guinea
USGS link to NOAA tsunami information: Not linked
Review status: Reviewed
Source: USGS event page
How strong was this earthquake?
Strong earthquakes can cause significant damage in populated areas within roughly 100 km of the epicentre, particularly to older masonry buildings. Landslides and liquefaction become a real risk in susceptible ground.
A magnitude 6.5 earthquake radiates roughly 84,802 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.
The USGS assigns this earthquake a significance score of 656, which meets 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.
Where was the epicentre?
The epicentre was located at -5.7199, 145.4950 — 42 km north-northeast of Goroka. The closest other recorded event was a magnitude 4.5 earthquake 19 km south of here on 12 June 2026.
Why the 110 km depth matters
At 110 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 produce strong, widely felt shaking. Its intermediate depth normally reduces peak shaking near the epicentre compared with a shallow event of the same magnitude.
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 its 110 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
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 4.4.
104 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 M6.5 event released about 2.0 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
- M4.5 earthquake near Goroka, Papua New Guinea — (19 km S)
- M5.1 earthquake near Goroka, Papua New Guinea — (19 km SSE)
- M5.2 earthquake near Madang, Papua New Guinea — (45 km N)
- M5.7 earthquake near Madang, Papua New Guinea — (54 km NE)
- M4.5 earthquake near Madang, Papua New Guinea — (58 km NE)
- M5.5 earthquake near Madang, Papua New Guinea — (68 km NE)
- M4.6 earthquake near Madang, Papua New Guinea — (70 km ENE)
- M4.5 earthquake near Kainantu, Papua New Guinea — (70 km SSE)
- M5.9 earthquake near Madang, Papua New Guinea — (74 km NE)
- M4.2 earthquake near Kainantu, Papua New Guinea — (82 km E)
Other magnitude 6 earthquakes worldwide
- M6.7 earthquake near southeast of the Loyalty Islands —
- M6.3 earthquake near southeast of the Loyalty Islands —
- M6.5 earthquake near Lorengau, Papua New Guinea —
- M6.4 earthquake near Lorengau, Papua New Guinea —
- M6.4 earthquake near South Sandwich Islands region —
- M6.7 earthquake near Sarangani, Philippines —
- M6.5 earthquake near Sarangani, Philippines —
- M6.6 earthquake near Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia —
Questions about this earthquake
How strong is a magnitude 6.5 earthquake?
Strong earthquakes can cause significant damage in populated areas within roughly 100 km of the epicentre, particularly to older masonry buildings. Landslides and liquefaction become a real risk in susceptible ground. A magnitude 6.5 earthquake radiates roughly 84,802 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.
How deep was the earthquake near Goroka?
At 110 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.
Was the M6.5 earthquake near Goroka 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 can produce strong, widely felt shaking. Its intermediate depth normally reduces peak shaking near the epicentre compared with a shallow event of the same magnitude.
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 its 110 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?
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 4.4.
How often do earthquakes happen near Goroka?
104 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 M6.5 event released about 2.0 times less energy than that event.