Magnitude 6.4 quake shakes Papua New Guinea near Kainantu
A 6.4-magnitude earthquake struck Papua New Guinea at 9:17 a.m. UTC, centered about 30 miles from Kainantu and felt across the nation.
At 9:17 a.m. UTC, a magnitude 6.4 earthquake hit Papua New Guinea, with its epicenter about 30 miles from the town of Kainantu and a focal depth of around 64 miles, according to the US Geological Survey. The quake was felt throughout the island nation, which is situated on the Australia-Pacific plate boundary that stretches roughly 2,500 miles from the Sunda trench to the Solomon Islands. Residents in the region live in structures ranging from vulnerable to earthquake-resistant, and earlier shocks have caused secondary hazards such as landslides and soil liquefaction.
Papua New Guinea is part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, responsible for about 90 % of global earthquakes and 75 % of active volcanoes. Since 1900, the country has experienced 13 earthquakes of magnitude 7.5 or higher, including an 8.1-magnitude event in April 2007 that generated a tsunami and killed at least 40 people. The Ring of Fire extends from South America through North America, across Alaska and Russia, and continues through Japan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and New Zealand.
Why it matters
The quake highlights ongoing seismic risk for communities on the Pacific Ring of Fire.
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