M6.0 earthquake near Madang, Madang Province
16645 d ago · 21 Mar 1981, 22:52 UTC 105 km ESE of Madang, Papua New Guinea
What happened
A magnitude 6 earthquake struck 105 km ESE of Madang, Papua New Guinea on 21 Mar 1981, 22:52 UTC at a depth of 227 km.
Earthquakes of this size are classed as Strong. Can cause damage in populated areas up to tens of kilometres away. This was an intermediate-depth earthquake, so shaking is spread over a wider, gentler area.
The nearest town in our records is Madang, about 106 km away in Madang Province, Papua New Guinea.
Timeline
First reported by USGS
16 Oct 2026, 20:46 UTC
Community
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