Earthquake · 20 Oct 2026
M4.2 earthquake — 28 km S of Goroka, Papua New Guinea
- Event
- Earthquake
- Magnitude
- M4.2 (Light)
- Severity
- Moderate
- Time
- (14 days ago)
- Location
- 28 km S of Goroka, Papua New Guinea
- Country
- Papua New Guinea
- Coordinates
- -6.340°, 145.376°
- Source
- USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
What this means
This was a light earthquake of magnitude 4.2. Usually causes noticeable shaking and rattling of indoor objects, but significant damage is unlikely.
Magnitude measures the energy released at the source. How strongly the ground shook at any particular place depends on distance from the epicenter, the depth of the quake, local geology and building construction, so the same magnitude can be harmless in one place and damaging in another. First magnitudes are preliminary and are often revised by a few tenths as more stations report.
Other events within 300 km (±14 days)
- M5.2 earthquake — 63 km NNE of Lae, Papua New Guinea — 199 km away, 25 Oct 2026, 03:29 UTC
- M4.4 earthquake — 19 km N of Finschhafen, Papua New Guinea — 273 km away, 23 Oct 2026, 06:34 UTC
- M4.8 earthquake — 31 km SE of Kainantu, Papua New Guinea — 77 km away, 18 Oct 2026, 00:28 UTC
- M4.6 earthquake — 48 km SSW of Angoram, Papua New Guinea — 270 km away, 7 Oct 2026, 17:36 UTC
Smaller earthquakes close in time and space to a larger one are often aftershocks or foreshocks, though GlobalRisk does not classify them.
More from Papua New Guinea
GlobalRisk has recorded 32 events in or near Papua New Guinea in the data we hold. See the full Papua New Guinea risk monitor.
Source and attribution
Source: USGS Earthquake Hazards Program. View the original report ↗
GlobalRisk republishes only basic facts (type, time, location, magnitude or alert level) and links to the original report. Details may be revised by the source after this page was generated on 3 Nov 2026, 05:09 UTC.
Related guides
- Earthquake Magnitude Explained: What M4, M6 and M7 Really Mean
- Earthquake Safety: What to Do Before, During and After
For situational awareness only, not an official warning. Follow local authorities. Open the live map