World Map › Major Earthquakes Since 1900 › 2016
Historic Earthquake
2016 Papua New Guinea Earthquake
17 December 2016 · New Britain New Ireland · Papua New Guinea
On 17 December 2016 at 10:51 UTC, a magnitude 7.9 earthquake struck Papua New Guinea (New Britain New Ireland), at a depth of 95 km. It occurred on the North Bismarck Plate, 67 km from its boundary with the South Bismarck Plate (continental transform fault). It triggered a tsunami.
- Date
- 17 December 2016
- Time
- 10:51 UTC
- Magnitude
- 7.9
- Depth
- 95 km
- Maximum Intensity
- VIII (Mercalli)
- Tsunami
- Yes
- Plate
- North Bismarck Plate
- Country
- Papua New Guinea
- Nearest Volcano
- Rabaul (Tavurvur) (150 km)
Nearby Major Earthquakes
Other major earthquakes recorded within 300 km.
- 20172017 Papua New Guinea Earthquake · M 7.93 deaths
- 20002000 New Ireland Earthquakes · M 8.02 deaths
- 1975Bismarck Sea, Bougainville · M 7.9
- 1971Bismarck Sea Rabaul · M 8.1
- 19711971 Solomon Islands Earthquakes · M 7.93 deaths
- 1968New Ireland · M 7.8
- 1919Solomon Islands · M 8.2
- 1916Solomon Islands · M 7.9
Sources: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Global Significant Earthquake Database (doi:10.7289/V5TD9V7K) · Wikidata · Bird (2003), PB2002 · Natural Earth