Kainantu, Papua New Guinea — A magnitude 4.8 earthquake struck the highlands of Papua New Guinea on Saturday evening, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

What happened: The quake hit at 7:28 PM Central Time, centered about 19 miles southeast of the town of Kainantu at a depth of roughly 77 miles. A deep earthquake like this one — well below the surface — usually spreads its energy over a wider area and produces less intense shaking at the surface than a shallow quake of the same strength. The USGS has not flagged any tsunami threat from this event.

Impacts: The epicenter sits in a remote, mountainous part of the Eastern Highlands, far from major population centers, so shaking likely went unnoticed by most people. The USGS had no confirmed damage reports or felt reports at the time of this writing. Deep quakes can occasionally trigger landslides in steep terrain, and local officials typically check road cuts and slopes after shaking is reported.

What to do:

- If you felt shaking, drop, cover, and hold on — get under a sturdy table or desk and stay there until the shaking stops.

- Check your home for hazards: gas smells, cracked walls, or fallen objects, before you settle back in.

- Expect aftershocks. Smaller tremors can follow a quake like this for hours, so stay ready to protect yourself again.

Source: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), October 17.