140 km E of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea

A magnitude 7.9 earthquake — a major event — struck near 140 km E of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea on December 17, 2016, at a intermediate-depth depth of about 95 km. An earthquake this size would have been felt strongly across the surrounding region; intermediate-depth events inside a subducting slab are often felt over a wide area but do less surface damage than shallow quakes. A tsunami threat was flagged for this event — large, shallow quakes beneath or near the ocean can lift the seafloor and generate destructive waves. 14 people submitted "Did You Feel It?" shaking reports to the USGS. Casualties, damage and the recovery depend on local building standards, population and distance from the epicentre — the news coverage, references and photos below capture what happened on the ground.