A major earthquake struck the New Britain region of Papua New Guinea this morning.
Thursday 5th August 2010
A magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck 75 km east-south-east of Kimbe, New Britain, Papua New Guinea at 10:02 this morning, New Zealand time. The U.S. Geological Survey reports that the quake was located beneath the central part of New Britain Island at a depth of 54 km.
Geoscience Australia reports the quake as magnitude 7.1 at a depth of 51 km. Their analysis puts the epicentre on the coast of New Britain close to Awio.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre issued a bulletin for the event at 10:09 advising that, based on historical data, a widespread tsunami threat did not exist. The quake was described as magnitude 7.0 at a depth of 81 km.
A deep magnitude 6.4 quake struck about 500 km to the west of this morning’s event last night, New Zealand time. This quake was centred 115 km east-south-east of Madang, New Guinea according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
Between the 19th and 21st of July, New Britain experienced three earthquakes with magnitudes between 6.3 and 7.3. A magnitude 6 earthquake struck the area in October 2006 and three quakes of 6th magnitude in November 2006.
[Compiled from data supplied by the U.S. Geological Survey and its contributing agencies, Geoscience Australia, and the U.S. National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration’s Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre.]