49 km ESE of Aitape, Papua New Guinea

A M6 earthquake struck 49 km ESE of Aitape, Papua New Guinea at a depth of 10 km. This early 21st century seismic event was recorded and analyzed by the US Geological Survey. This earthquake occurred in a subduction zone, where one plate descends beneath another into the mantle. Subduction zones generate the planet's most powerful earthquakes.