Magnitude 5.5 Earthquake off the north coast of Papua New Guinea.

The United States Geological Survey recorded a Magnitude 5.5 Earthquake at a depth of 10.0 km, off the north coast of East Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea, slightly before 5.15 pm Local time (slightly before 7.15 am GMT) on Friday 11 February 2022. The incident was followed by a number of aftershocks, including a Magnitude 5.4 Earthquake which happened in approximately the same place six hours later. There are no reports of any damage or injuries associated with these events, but both were felt on the north coast of the island.

 

The approximate location of the 11 February 2022 East Sepik Province Earthquake. USGS.

The north coast of East Sepik Province is located on the southern margin of the North Bismarck Plate, close to its boundary with the Australian Plate, which underlies most of the Papuan mainland. The North Bismarck Plate is being subducted beneath the Australian Plate along the New Guinea Trench on the north coast of the island. This is not a smooth process, with the rocks sticking together, then moving sharply as the pressure builds up enough to break them apart, which can also lead to Earthquakes in the region.

 

Tectonic setting of the Papua New Guinea region. FTB, Aure Fold-and-Thrust Belt; OSZF, Owen Stainly fault zone; GF, Gogol fault; BTFZ, Bewani-Torricelli fault zone; RMFZ, Ramu-Markham fault zone; BSSL, Bismarck Sea Seismic Lineation. Koulali et al. (2022).

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