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Magnitude 6.4 earthquake is latest to rattle Pacific Ring of Fire
FOX Weather • • world
Key Points:
- A magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck Papua New Guinea at 9:17 a.m. UTC, occurring about 30 miles from Kainantu at a depth of 64 miles, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).
- The affected area has a mix of vulnerable and earthquake-resistant buildings, with previous quakes causing secondary hazards like landslides and liquefaction.
- The earthquake occurred along the Australia-Pacific plate boundary, a 2,500-mile fault line extending from the Sunda trench to the Solomon Islands.
- Papua New Guinea has experienced 13 earthquakes of magnitude 7.5 or greater since 1900, including a deadly magnitude 8.1 quake in 2007 that triggered a tsunami and killed at least 40 people.
- Located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, Papua New Guinea lies in one of the world's most seismically and volcanically active regions, responsible for about 90% of global earthquakes and 75% of active volcanoes.
