The M7.3 New Britain, Papua New Guinea earthquake occurred on or near the plate boundary between the Solomon Sea and South Bismarck plates, microplates involved in the accommodation of large-scale convergence between the Australia and Pacific plates. The earthquake's location, depth, and focal mechanism are consistent with the earthquake having occurred as thrust faulting associated with subduction along this plate boundary. This earthquake occurred approximately 10 km to the north and 30 minutes after a M6.9 earthquake. That smaller foreshock was deeper and occurred as a result of reverse faulting in a direction highly oblique to the plate convergence direction.
