M7.2 earthquake - 117 km N of Finschhafen, Papua New Guinea
10525 d ago · 22 Dec 1997, 02:05 UTC 117 km N of Finschhafen, Papua New Guinea
What happened
A magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck 117 km N of Finschhafen, Papua New Guinea on 22 Dec 1997, 02:05 UTC at a depth of 179 km.
Earthquakes of this size are classed as Major. Can cause serious damage over large areas. This was an intermediate-depth earthquake, so shaking is spread over a wider, gentler area.
The nearest town in our records is Lae, about 167 km away in Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea.
Timeline
First reported by USGS
16 Oct 2026, 20:46 UTC
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