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M6.5 Earthquake near Lorengau, Papua New Guinea — 13 July 2026

A strong earthquake of magnitude 6.5 was recorded near Lorengau, Papua New Guinea on , with an epicentre 187 km southeast of Lorengau, at a focal depth of 47.8 km. It was the strongest of the 18 earthquakes recorded in Papua New Guinea in the preceding 30 days.

6.5 Strong

Time (UTC): 2026-07-13 08:53:30

Time (your timezone): —

Magnitude: 6.5 (strong)

Focal depth: 47.8 km (shallow)

Epicentre: -2.9980, 148.6560

Location: 187 km SE of Lorengau, 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?

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 650, 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.

What the magnitude scale actually measures →

When it happened locally

That is about 18:48 local solar time at the epicentre, in the evening.

This event was shallower than 53% of the 552 earthquakes recorded in Papua New Guinea in our catalogue and stronger than 99% of them.

Where was the epicentre?

The epicentre was located at -2.9980, 148.6560 — 187 km southeast of Lorengau. The closest other recorded event was a magnitude 5.3 earthquake 14 km west of here on 21 January 2025.

The nearest other settlements in our records are Kavieng (187 km east-southeast), Kimbe (209 km south-southeast) and Madang (229 km southwest).

Why the 48 km depth matters

At 48 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 produce strong, widely felt shaking. 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 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.

29 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 6.4 event near Lorengau on 13 July 2026. This M6.5 event released about 1.4 times more energy than that event.

11 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 July 2026 worldwide record, and of earthquakes in Papua New Guinea during July 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 6 earthquakes worldwide

All magnitude 6 earthquakes →

Questions about this earthquake

How strong was the earthquake near Lorengau?

It measured magnitude 6.5 — a strong earthquake. A magnitude 6.5 earthquake radiates roughly 84,802 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

How deep was the earthquake near Lorengau?

The focus was 48 km below the surface, which counts as shallow.

Was the Lorengau earthquake felt at the surface?

At magnitude 6.5 and a focal depth of 48 km, shaking would have been concentrated near the epicentre.

When did the earthquake near Lorengau happen?

13 July 2026 at 08:53 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 Lorengau?

29 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 6.4 event near Lorengau on 13 July 2026. This M6.5 event released about 1.4 times more energy than that event.