Magnitude 6.4 earthquake rattles Papua New Guinea in latest Pacific Ring of Fire activity
The USGS said the population in this area resides in structures that are a mix of vulnerable and earthquake-resistant construction.
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PAPUA NEW GUINEA - A magnitude 6.4 earthquake has once again rattled the Pacific Ring of Fire — this time in Papua New Guinea.
The earthquake struck at 9:17 a.m. UTC, and was felt across the island country. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said the quake struck at a depth of about 64 miles, approximately 30 miles from Kainantu.
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Alatou Milne bay, papua new guinea
(Annemiek1962 / Getty Images)
The USGS said the population in this area resides in structures that are a mix of vulnerable and earthquake-resistant construction. Recent earthquakes in this area have caused secondary hazards such as landslides and liquefaction.
The agency reports that the quake happened on the Australia-Pacific plate boundary, which is about 2,500 miles long, spanning from the Sunda (Java) trench in the west to the Solomon Islands.
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There have been 13 magnitude 7.5 or greater earthquakes recorded in Papua New Guinea since 1900. In April 2007, a magnitude 8.1 earthquake occurred, triggering a tsunami and killing at least 40 people, according to the USGS.
Shaking felt across Papua New Guinea after a magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck.
(USGS / FOX Weather)
Papua New Guinea is located along the Pacific Ring of Fire, which is one of the most seismically and volcanically active regions in the world. It's where the Pacific Plate meets many surrounding tectonic plates.
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About 90% of the world's earthquakes and around 75% of its active volcanoes are located along the Ring of Fire.
The region contains roughly 452 volcanoes and stretches for about 25,000 miles, forming a horseshoe-shaped belt that runs from the southern tip of South America, along the western coasts of North and Central America, across Alaska and Russia, and then through Japan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and New Zealand.