World Map › Major Earthquakes Since 1900 › 1970
Historic Earthquake
1970 New Guinea Earthquake
31 October 1970 · Madang · Papua New Guinea
On 31 October 1970 at 17:53 UTC, a magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck Papua New Guinea (Madang), at a depth of 8 km. It occurred on the South Bismarck Plate, 61 km from its boundary with the Woodlark Plate (continental rift). It killed at least 18 people (including tsunami victims) and injured 20. 800 homes were destroyed.
- Date
- 31 October 1970
- Time
- 17:53 UTC
- Magnitude
- 7.3
- Depth
- 8 km
- Maximum Intensity
- VIII (Mercalli)
- Deaths
- 18
- Injuries
- 20
- Homes Destroyed
- 800
- Homes Damaged
- 800
- Estimated Damage
- 2 million US dollars
- Tsunami
- See the tsunami (3.0 m wave)
- Plate
- South Bismarck Plate
- Country
- Papua New Guinea
- Nearest Volcano
- Karkar (63 km)
Nearby Major Earthquakes
Other major earthquakes recorded within 300 km.
- 20222022 Papua New Guinea Earthquake · M 7.621 deaths
- 2019Morobe, Wampar · M 7.2
- 1987Huon Peninsula, Umboi Island · M 7.63 deaths
- 1968N Coast, Wewak · M 7.5
- 1951Papua New Guinea · M 7.2
- 1938Papua New Guinea · M 7.5
- 1916N Coast · M 7.5
- 1900Rabaul Harbor · M 7.1
Sources: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Global Significant Earthquake Database (doi:10.7289/V5TD9V7K) · Wikidata · Bird (2003), PB2002 · Natural Earth