M5.0 earthquake near Arawa, Bougainville
3590 d ago · 17 Dec 2016, 12:01 UTC Bougainville region, Papua New Guinea
What happened
A magnitude 5 earthquake struck Bougainville region, Papua New Guinea on 17 Dec 2016, 12:01 UTC at a depth of 83 km.
Earthquakes of this size are classed as Moderate. Can damage poorly built structures close to the epicentre. This was an intermediate-depth earthquake, so shaking is spread over a wider, gentler area.
The nearest town in our records is Arawa, about 125 km away in Bougainville, Papua New Guinea.
Timeline
First reported by USGS
16 Oct 2026, 20:47 UTC
Community
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