User:Quake1234/sandbox

Earthquakes in Papua are due to its location near the geologically-active Pacific Ring of Fire, making it the most earthquake-prone country on earth.

Architecture and earthquake resistance
Types of building construction vary by area; mud-brick houses are common in Highlands Region and most of the Solomon Islands and New Caledonia Prefectures, informal housing and concrete and brick structuring are common in Vanuatu, Tonga and Fiji Prefectures, as well as the Southern Region, especially in Port Moresby and the Papuan Peninsula, where it is more unreinforced.

Due to the devastation of past earthquakes, quake-proof structures are predominant in New Britain and Ireland, parts of Fiji and New Caledonia Prefectures, as well as in Madang Province, where they co-exist with many weaker and older structures.

Due to the 9.3 2023 New Guinea earthquake and tsunami (scientifically known as the Great Papua earthquake), which caused extreme destruction in Wewak, Madang and Mount Hagen, destroyed buildings in the Momase Region are being rebuilt with more strict guidelines, with 80% of the region's destroyed buildings reconstructed by December 2023.

Statistics
Due to the Great Momase earthquake, a study was carried out across Papua throughout March and April of 2023, based on past seismicity and to "help civilians prepare for future tremors".