Earthquake Hits Northern Coast of Papua New Guinea

August 5, 2011August 1, 2011 by Science Desk

Earthquake location courtesy us geological survey

Earthquake hits northern coast of papua new guinea 1 — Earthquake location courtesy us geological survey

An earthquake hit Papua New Guinea at 09:38 local time on Monday 1st August 2011. Located North of the capital, Port Moresby, and East of Wewak, the quake measured a magnitude of 6.8. The event took place 16.8km below the surface of the earth some 20km off the Northern coast of PNG. There is not thought to be any tsunami risk associated with the quake.

In This Story: Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea, in the southwestern Pacific, encompasses the eastern half of New Guinea and its offshore islands. A country of immense cultural and biological diversity, it’s known for its beaches and coral reefs. Inland are active volcanoes, granite Mt. Wilhelm, dense rainforest and hiking routes like the Kokoda Trail. There are also traditional tribal villages, many with their own languages.