PORT MORESBY, June 24 — A magnitude 5.1 earthquake struck 61 kilometers south-southwest of Panguna, Papua New Guinea early Wednesday morning, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The temblor occurred at 06:17 UTC at a depth of 70.1 kilometers. No tsunami warning was issued following the event.
The depth of the quake — 70.1 kilometers — places it in the intermediate-to-deep category. A deep earthquake sends its energy out over a much wider area, but the shaking at the surface is often less violent.
The practical upshot is that while people across a broad region may have felt the ground roll, the risk of severe structural damage near the epicenter is generally lower than it would be from a shallow quake of the same magnitude. Earthquakes in the magnitude 5 range are classified as moderate. They can cause minor to moderate damage near the epicenter, particularly in areas with vulnerable buildings.
At a depth of 70.1 km, the shaking would have been attenuated by the time it reached the surface, but residents in the sparsely populated region likely still felt a noticeable jolt. The area is no stranger to seismic activity.
The USGS data shows that at least 500 earthquakes of magnitude 5.0 or greater have been recorded within about 300 kilometers of this location over the past two decades. The strongest of those was a magnitude 8.1 earthquake in 2007. Seismologists note that aftershocks are common following an earthquake of this size.
These secondary tremors may continue for days or weeks. People in the affected area are generally advised to be prepared for further shaking and to stay clear of damaged structures. The USGS detected the event through its real-time global seismic monitoring network, which tracks earthquakes around the clock.
For now, the agency continues to monitor the region for any additional seismic activity. Residents near Panguna and the surrounding areas should remain alert as the aftershock sequence unfolds.
