A strong, onshore earthquake struck the Papua New Guinea island of New Britain this morning.
Thursday 10th March 2011
The U.S. Geological Survey reports that a magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck 24 km north-north-east of Kandrian, 75 km south-west of Kimbe, New Britain at 10:25 this morning, New Zealand Daylight Time. The onshore quake was centred 468 km north-east of the capital of Papua New Guinea, Port Moresby.
Geoscience Australia reports the event as magnitude 6.5 at a depth of 65 km. It estimates that the quake would have caused damage up to 60 km from the epicentre in the western part of New Britain island, and would have been felt up to 750 km away.
The Joint Australian Tsunami Warning Centre has issued a “no tsunami threat to Australia” bulletin following the earthquake.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre issued a bulletin for the event at 10:33 NZDT advising that, based on historical data, a destructive widespread tsunami threat does not exist.
[Compiled from data supplied by the U.S. Geological Survey and its contributing agencies, the U.S. National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration’s Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre, Geoscience Australia, and the Joint Australian Tsunami Warning Centre.]