August 19, 2012 – A 6.2 Magnitude Quake Hit PNG: The 6.2 tremor struck at 8:41AM local time (August 20th). It was 10:41PM in London (August 19th – GMT), 6:41PM in New York, 5:41PM in Chicago, 4:41PM in Denver and 3:41PM in Los Angeles. The quake occurred at a depth of 77 kilometers (48 miles). There is no danger of a tsunami since it took place on land.
The tremor occurred 72 miles NNE of Mount Hagen, NG, PNG; 90 miles WNW of Madang, 103 miles northwest of Goroka, 212 miles northwest of Lae and 366 miles NNW of Port Moresby, PNG.
Mount Hagen is the third largest city in Papua New Guinea. It is the capital of the Western Highlands Province and is located in the large fertile Wahgi Valley in central mainland Papua New Guinea, at an elevation of 1,677 meters (5,502 feet). Since the tremor occurred 72 miles NNE of Mount Hagen, the city will definitely feel moderate to strong shaking and some damage. However, because the quake took place at a depth of 48 miles, the damage should be light. The deeper the earthquake, the wider the area it is felt over and less damage occurs on the surface. A relatively weak earthquake, that occurs directly under a populated area; may cause significant damage and loss of life. For example, the Christchurch, New Zealand tremor was under 6.0 magnitude, but occurred directly under the city and was very close to the surface – hence magnified damage was seen.
The Master of Disaster
