The first quakes were reported on the island early on Wednesday at 7.26am local time (Tuesday 9.26pm GMT), topping 6.4 on the Richter Scale.
The US Geological Survey (USGS) has since noted preliminary 6.6 magnitude tremors at a depth of 70 miles (112 km) below ground.
The quakes truck some 51 miles (83 km) west of the coastal hub of Wewak.
In its report, the USGS said: “An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.6 occurred in New Guinea, Papua New Guinea at 2127 UTC on Tuesday November 7, 2017.
“Based on all available data there is no tsunami threat from this earthquake.
“No action is required.”
The news comes three days after a powerful earthquake struck the Pacific island of Samoa.
Does the earthquake pose a tsunami threat?
Right now there is no cause for concern and both the USGS and the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) are not expecting any risk of tsunamis.
NOOA said: “Based on all available data there is no tsunami threat from this earthquake.
“A destructive pacific-wide tsunami is not expected and there is no tsunami threat to Hawaii.
“Repeat. A destructive pacific-wide tsunami is not expected and there is no tsunami threat to Hawaii
“Coastal regions of Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam and CNMI should refer to Pacific tsunami warning centre messages specifically for those places that can be found at PTCW.weather.gov.
“Coastal regions of California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia and Alaska should only refer to national tsunami warning messages that can be found at NWC.arh.noaa.gov.”
NOOA has marked the following regions safe from a tsunami threat:
- Guam
- Rota
- Tinian
- Saipan
- Hawaii
- American Samoa
- California
- Oregon
- Washington
- British Columbia
- Alaska
Where did the earthquake strike?
The intense tremors were recorded 70 miles (112 km) below the surface of the ground, south of the coastal city of Wewak, at the following coordinates: 4.3 south, 143.5 east.
The depth at which the earthquake struck could have mitigated any dangerous shaking.
Reports from Reuters claim that locals aw no damage caused by the earthquake.
According to the USGS, the quakes then spread out in a radial pattern towards the New Guinea Basin, Bismarck Sea and New Britain Island.
This is a particularly volatile region on the Australia-Pacific plate, which is known for its tectonic play activity.
The USGS said: “Along the South Solomon trench, the Australia plate converges with the Pacific plate at a rate of approximately 95 mm/yr towards the east-northeast.
“Seismicity along the trench is dominantly related to subduction tectonics and large earthquakes are common: there have been 13 M7.5+ earthquakes recorded since 1900.
“On April 1, 2007, a M8.1 interplate megathrust earthquake occurred at the western end of the trench, generating a tsunami and killing at least 40 people.”
What is the Ring of Fire?
The Ring of Fire is a long chain of volatile earthquakes hot zones and volcanoes that run the length of the Pacific Ocean.
Also known as the Circum-Pacific belt, about 90 per cent of the world’s earthquakes take place in this region alone.
The most seismic part of the ring lies in the Alpide belt, which extends through Turkey, Iran and northern India.
The horseshoe-shaped Ring of Fire covers about 450 volcanoes in a 25,000-mile chain.