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Magnitude 6.5 Quake Strikes Near Goroka, Papua New Guinea

USGS issues a green alert indicating low expected impacts given its depth and remote location.

epicenter m6.5 earthquake papua new guinea december 22 2025
The location of the 6.5 magnitude earthquake that struck Papua New Guinea on December 22, 2025, as shown on a USGS map.
A 6.5 magnitude earthquake rocked Papua New Guinea on Monday morning, December 22, 2025, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The quake struck at 10:31 a.m. UTC (5:31 a.m. ET), the USGS reported.
A 6.4 ?magnitude earthquake has struck Papua New Guinea with no immediate reports of damage. (AP PHOTO)

Overview

  • The earthquake occurred at 10:31 a.m. UTC about 26 miles northeast of Goroka at an estimated depth of roughly 68 miles, with USGS listing M6.5 and EMSC reporting M6.4.
  • Authorities assessed no tsunami threat from the Papua New Guinea event.
  • USGS issued a green alert for shaking-related fatalities and economic losses, and preliminary modeling indicates broad light to moderate shaking across the region.
  • The quake is linked to the Australia–Pacific plate boundary at the New Guinea trench, where the Pacific plate subducts southward beneath the region.
  • Recent seismic activity also includes multiple quakes in southern Japan without major injuries or tsunami warnings and a Bay Area swarm near San Ramon on December 19 that caused no reported damage.