The shudder hit at 06:41 am (2141 GMT Monday), very nearly 250 kilometers (150 miles) west of the common capital Jayapura at a profundity of 52 km, the US Land Study said.
The Hawaii-based Pacific Wave Cautioning Center said there was no danger of any tidal wave waves from the shudder, which happened inland underneath the Irian Jaya wilderness.
The Seismic tremor Report checking site said the zone has "steep mountain ranges and its vegetation is rainforest, which implies that the chance on risky avalanches is genuine".
Indonesia sits on the Pacific "Ring of Flame," where tectonic plates impact, bringing on regular seismic and volcanic movement.