Shallow M6.1 earthquake hits near the coast of Papua New Guinea

A strong and shallow earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.1 hit near the coast of Papua New Guinea at 07:43 UTC on November 13, 2023. The agency is reporting a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles). EMSC is reporting the same magnitude and depth.

The epicenter was located 136 km (84.5 miles) WNW of Rabaul and 152 km (94 miles) WNW of Kokobo, East New Britain, Papua New Guinea.

43 000 people are estimated to have felt light shaking and 646 000 weak.

There are no tsunami warnings in effect.

The USGS issued a Green alert for shaking-related fatalities and economic losses. There is a low likelihood of casualties and damage.

Overall, the population in this region resides in structures that are a mix of vulnerable and earthquake-resistant construction. The predominant vulnerable building types are informal (metal, timber, GI etc.) and unreinforced brick masonry construction.

Recent earthquakes in this area have caused secondary hazards such as landslides that might have contributed to losses.

Estimated population exposure to earthquake shaking

Selected cities exposed

Regional seismicity

Featured image credit: TW/SAM, Google