BISMARCK SEA
Geographic Context
This earthquake event occurred near Kimbe (approximately 228 km away) in Papua New Guinea, an area that experiences a range of natural hazards.
Event Assessment
This event is a moderate earthquake measuring 5.2 on the magnitude scale, with a focal depth of 10 km. Events of this magnitude are typically felt over a wide area and may cause damage to vulnerable structures. Calamity.live has classified it as "medium" severity with a severity value of 41.52. The computed Calamity Score is 18 out of 100, suggesting contained impact at this time. The primary scoring components are: historical (80), intensity (24). Data for this event was sourced from iris, one of the 250 scientific monitoring sources aggregated by Calamity.live.
Regional Monitoring Context
Papua New Guinea has a documented history of earthquake events. Seismic monitoring in the region draws on data from multiple agencies including USGS, EMSC, and regional networks. Understanding local seismicity helps emergency management agencies plan for potential future events and assess building code adequacy. Earthquake hazard in any region depends on fault proximity, soil conditions, and building vulnerability — factors that can vary significantly even within a single metropolitan area.
Cascade Risk Analysis
This event may trigger secondary hazards through cascade effects. Cascade detection is an automated process that evaluates how primary disasters can trigger secondary events — for example, earthquakes triggering landslides, or volcanic eruptions causing lahars and pyroclastic flows. These secondary hazards can sometimes pose a greater threat than the initial event, particularly in mountainous terrain or densely populated areas.
Event Data
| Type | Earthquake |
| Severity | medium |
| Severity Value | 41.52 |
| Calamity Score | 18 / 100 |
| Confidence | 64% |
| Coordinates | -3.5314, 149.7727 |
| Nearest City | Kimbe (228 km) |
| Impact Tier | minor |
| Timestamp | 2026-03-12T20:58:46.000Z |
| Source | https://ds.iris.edu/ds/nodes/dmc/tools/event/12081747 |
Score Breakdown
Technical Details
| Mag | 5.2 |
| Depth | 10 |
| MagType | mww |
| Region | BISMARCK SEA |
| Gfz Mag | 5.18 |
| Gfz Depth | 10 |
| Gfz MagType | Mw |
| Gfz Region | Bismarck Sea |
| MergedSources | [{"id":"gfz_gfz2026ezos","source":"gfz","severity":"medium","severityValue":41.44,"timestamp":1773349129220,"latitude":-3.625,"longitude":149.616}] |
Cascade Risks
Safety Information
If you feel shaking: Drop, Cover, and Hold On. Move away from windows, heavy objects, and exterior walls. After shaking stops, check for injuries and structural damage. Be prepared for aftershocks, which can occur minutes to months after the mainshock. Follow instructions from local emergency management authorities.
This data is aggregated algorithmically from scientific sources. Not a replacement for official emergency warnings.
Calamity.live data shows a earthquake event with CalamityScore 18/100, near Kimbe (Papua New Guinea), based on data from iris. Source: Calamity.live, a platform aggregating real-time data from 207 scientific monitoring sources.