List of earthquakes in New Zealand
This is a list of major earthquakes which have occurred in New Zealand. Only earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.5 or greater are listed, unless they had a moderate impact.
Aftershocks are not included, unless they were of great significance or contributed to a death toll, such as the M 6.3 2011 Christchurch earthquake or the M 7.3 aftershock to the 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake.
Pre-19th century
19th century
1900 to 1949
Date | Location | Region | Magnitude (ML) | Magnitude (MW) | Depth | Latitude | Longitude | Fatalities | Further information |
16 Nov 1901 | Cheviot | North Canterbury | 6.8 | | 12 km | 42.74°S | 173.35°E | 1 | 1901 Cheviot earthquake |
22 Nov 1914 | Tauranga | Bay of Plenty | 7.3 | | 300 km | 37.49°S | 176.50°E | | Felt throughout North Island |
1 May 1917 | Raoul Island | Kermadec Islands | | 8.0 | 50 km | 29.00°S | 177.00°W | | Felt throughout New Zealand[12] |
28 Jun 1921 | Kaweka Forest | Hawke's Bay | 7.0 | | 80 km | 39.29°S | 176.40°E | | Felt throughout North Island |
25 Dec 1922 | Motunau | North Canterbury | 6.4 | | 20 km | 42.99°S | 173.00°E | | Felt throughout Upper half of South Island |
9 Mar 1929 | Arthur's Pass | Canterbury | 7.0 | | 12 km | 42.83°S | 171.83°E | | 1929 Arthur's Pass earthquake |
17 Jun 1929 | Murchison | West Coast | 7.3 | 7.8 | 20 km | 41.69°S | 172.20°E | 17 | 1929 Murchison earthquake |
12 Feb 1930 | Porangahau | Hawke's Bay | 6.2 | | 33 km | 40.39°S | 176.55°E | | Felt throughout Lower half of North Island/Hawke's Bay |
3 Feb 1931 | North of Napier | Hawke's Bay | 7.4 | 7.8 | 20 km | 39.29°S | 177.00°E | 256 | 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake |
13 Feb 1931 | East of Napier | Hawke's Bay | 7.3 | | 30 km | 39.55°S | 177.31°E | | Aftershock to M 7.4 event |
15 Sep 1932 | Wairoa | Hawke's Bay | 6.9 | | 12 km | 38.95°S | 177.59°E | | Caused further damage to the already devastated Hawke's Bay region. |
5 Mar 1934 | Pahiatua | Manawatu | 7.2 | | 12 km | 40.54°S | 176.29°E | 2 | 1934 Pahiatua earthquake |
15 Mar 1934 | Wairoa | Hawke's Bay | 6.3 | | 25 km | 39.31°S | 177.23°E | | Felt strongly in Hawke's Bay and Gisborne |
24 May 1936 | Whakatane | Bay of Plenty | 6.5 | | 150 km | 37.99°S | 177.00°E | | Felt in North Island |
16 Dec 1938 | Fiordland | Southland | 7.0 | | 60 km | 44.99°S | 167.00°E | | Felt throughout South Island |
26 Feb 1940 | Hastings | Hawke's Bay | 6.0 | | 25 km | 39.50°S | 176.50°E | | Felt throughout North Island |
24 Jun 1942 | Masterton | Wairarapa | 6.5 | | 12 km | 40.95°S | 175.68°E | | June 1942 Wairarapa earthquake |
1 Aug 1942 | Masterton | Wairarapa | 6.8 | | 40 km | 41.01°S | 175.51°E | 1 | August 1942 Wairarapa earthquake |
17 Feb 1943 | Te Anau | Southland | 6.5 | | 123 km | 45.29°S | 168.00°E | | Felt throughout South Island |
25 Feb 1943 | Wellington | Wairarapa | 5.8 | | 60 km | 41.36°S, | 174.95°E | | Felt strongly in Wellington |
23 Jun 1946 | Lake Hawea | Canterbury | 5.9 | | 50 km | 44.22°S, | 169.36°E | | Felt West Coast/Canterbury |
26 Jun 1946 | Lake Coleridge | Canterbury | 6.2 | | 12 km | 43.30°S | 171.47°E | | Mainshock |
26 Mar 1947 | Offshore Poverty Bay | Gisborne | 7.1 | | | 38.55°S | 178.42°E | | 1947 Gisborne earthquakes and tsunami |
17 May 1947 | Offshore Tolaga Bay | Gisborne | 7.1 | | | 38.21°S | 178.60°E | | 1947 Gisborne earthquakes and tsunami |
22 May 1948 | Hanmer Springs | North Canterbury | 5.9 | | 12 km | 42.46°S, | 172.88°E | | Foreshock to 6.4 event |
22 May 1948 | Hanmer Springs | North Canterbury | 6.4 | | 12 km | 42.49°S | 173.00°E | | Mainshock |
22 May 1948 | Cheviot | North Canterbury | 6.2 | | 12 km | 42.83°S | 173.05°E | | Separate event triggered by the M 6.4 earthquake 5 minutes prior. |
9 Feb 1949 | Hawera | Taranaki | 6.4 | | 199 km | 39.67°S | 174.35°E | | Felt throughout North Island |
1950 to 1999
Date | Location | Region | Magnitude (ML) | Magnitude (MW) | Depth | Latitude | Longitude | Fatalities | Further information |
28 Feb 1950 | Lake Waikaremoana | Hawke's Bay | 5.8 | | 60 km | 38.86°S | 176.92°E | | Felt throughout North Island [13] |
10 Jan 1951 | Cheviot | North Canterbury | 5.5 | | 12 km | 42.78°S | 173.18°E | | Felt throughout central New Zealand |
10 Feb 1951 | Porangahau | Hawke's Bay | 6.1 | | 33 km | 40.21°S | 177.04°E | | Felt throughout North Island [14] |
24 Jun 1951 | Toaroa Junction | Manawatu | 6.3 | | 33 km | 39.45°S | 176.20°E | | Felt throughout North Island |
28 Aug 1952 | Porangahau | Hawkes Bay | 5.9 | | 12 km | 40.08S | 177.19°E | | Felt throughout North Island |
29 Sep 1953 | Tauranga | Bay of Plenty | 7.2 | | 273 km | 37.59°S | 176.48°E | | Felt throughout North Island |
27 Feb 1955 | Raoul Island | Kermadec Islands | 7.8 | | 18 km | 28.40°S | 175.37°W | | Felt in the East half of North Island |
29 Dec 1956 | Matawai | Gisborne | 6.1 | 6.1 | 33 km | 39.72°S | 176.87°E | | Felt strongly along the East Coast of the North Island |
31 Jan 1958 | Waipawa | Hawke's Bay | 6.1 | | 12 km | 30.30°S | 177.50°E | | |
14 Sep 1959 | Raoul Island | Kermadec Islands | | 7.8 | 35 km | 28.82°S | 177.07°W | | Felt in the East half of North Island |
25 May 1960 | Milford Sound | Southland | 6.3 | | 12 km | 44.17°S | 167.72°E | | |
27 Dec 1961 | Martinborough | Wellington | 6.2 | | 12 km | 41.51°S | 176.11°E | | Struck offshore Wellington Region, 65 km east of Martinborough |
10 May 1962 | Westport | West Coast | 5.6 | | 12 km | 41.66°S | 171.44°E | | Felt strongly in Westport |
18 Dec 1963 | Raoul Islands | Kermadec Islands | | 7.7 | 35 km | 24.77°S | 176.52°W | | Felt in the East half of North Island |
11 April 1965 | Kaikoura | North Canterbury | 6.1 | | 12 km | 42.76°S | 173.87°E | | Felt in Kaikoura/North Canterbury |
21 May 1965 | George Sound | Southland | 6.4 | | 101 km | 44.94°S | 167.36°E | | |
4 Mar 1966 | Gisborne | East Cape | 6.0 | | 33 km | 38.73°S | 178.11°E | | Felt in Gisborne |
23 April 1966 | Cook Strait | Marlborough | 5.8 | 5.8 | 12 km | 41.64°S | 174.54°E | | Caused damage in Wellington |
24 May 1968 | Inangahua Junction | West Coast | 6.7 | 7.1 | 12 km | 41.75°S | 172.04°E | 2 | 1968 Inangahua earthquake |
5 Jan 1973 | Taupo | Waikato | 7.0 | | 163 km | 39.03°S | 175.26°E | | Felt throughout New Zealand |
5 May 1976 | Milford Sound | Southland | 6.6 | | 12 km | 44.67°S | 167.38°E | | |
15 Jan 1976 | Raoul Island | Kermadec Islands | | 7.8 | 43 km | 29.21°S | 177.63°W | | Foreshock to M 8.2 event |
15 Jan 1976 | Raoul Island | Kermadec Islands | | 8.2 | 31 km | 29.17°S | 177.31°W | | Main shock |
18 Jan 1977 | Cook Strait | Marlborough | 6.0 | | 33 km | 41.84°S | 174.58°E | | |
6 Oct 1980 | Hastings | Hawke's Bay | 5.6 | 5.7 | 30 km | 39.72°S | 176.87°E | | Felt more strongly in other parts of Hawke's Bay than in Hastings itself |
24 Jun 1984 | Lake Tekapo | Canterbury | 5.9 | | 12 km | 43.58°S | 170.00°E | | Felt around the South Island |
21 Oct 1986 | Raoul Island | Kermadec Islands | | 8.3 | 33 km | 28.15°S | 176.29°W | | Felt throughout New Zealand[15] |
2 Mar 1987 | Edgecumbe | Bay of Plenty | 6.1 | 6.5 | 10 km | 37.88°S | 176.80°E | | 1987 Edgecumbe earthquake |
4 Jun 1988 | Te Anau | Southland | 6.1 | | 73 km | 45.12°S | 167.29°E | | |
24 May 1989 | Puysegur Trench | South of New Zealand | | 8.2 | | | | | Felt in the South Island |
31 May 1989 | Doubtful Sound | Southland | 6.1 | | 23 km | 45.33°S | 166.87°E | | |
13 May 1990 | Weber | Manawatu | 6.2[16] | | 29 km | 40.42S | 176.47°E | | Mainshock |
28 Jan 1991 | Buller Ranges | West Coast | 6.1 | | 9.9 km | 41.90°S | 171.65°E | | Foreshock to M 6.3 event |
29 Jan 1991 | Buller Ranges | West Coast | 6.3 | | 17.3 km | 41.90°S | 171.72°E | | Mainshock |
8 Sep 1991 | South Taranaki Bight | Manawatu | 6.3 | | 86 km | 40.24°S | 175.16°E | | Felt throughout North Island |
27 May 1992 | Wairau Valley | Marlborough | 6.8 | | 79 km | 41.60°S | 173.66°E | | Felt in Central New Zealand |
21 June 1992 | White Island | Bay of Plenty | 6.1 | | 5 km | 37.57°S | 176.82°E | | Felt in Bay of Plenty |
10 Aug 1993 | Secretary Island | Southland | 6.7 | 7.0 | 5 km | 45.21°S | 166.70°E | | Felt as far away as Australia |
10 Aug 1993 | Gisborne | East Cape | 6.3 | | 45 km | 38.52°S | 177.90°E | | Felt strongly in Gisborne. |
11 Apr 1993 | Hastings | Hawke's Bay | 6.1 | | 37 km | 39.72°S | 176.71°E | | Felt strongly throughout Hawke's Bay |
18 Jun 1994 | Arthur's Pass | Canterbury | 6.7 | 6.7 | 4 km | 43.00°S | 171.47°E | | Mainshock |
19 Jun 1994 | Lake Coleridge | Canterbury | 6.1 | | 5 km | 43.16°S, | 171.47°E | | Triggered from the M 6.7 Arthur's Pass event |
24 Nov 1995 | Arthur's Pass | Canterbury | 6.3 | | 7 km | 42.95°S, | 171.81°E | | Felt strongly in the South Island |
6 Feb 1995 | NE of New Zealand | East Cape | 7.0 | | 12 km | 37.7°7S | 179.68°E | | Mainshock |
25 May 1997 | Raoul Island | Kermadec Islands | | 7.9 | 339 km | 33.61°S | 177.80°E | | Felt throughout North Island and upper half of South Island |
25 Oct 1999 | Taupo | Waikato | 7.0 | | 160 km | 38.56S | 175.91°E | | Felt throughout New Zealand |
2000 to 2009
Date | Location | Region | Magnitude (ML) | Magnitude (MW) | Depth | Latitude | Longitude | Fatalities | Further information |
21 Aug 2001 | NE of New Zealand | East Cape | 7.1 | 7.1 | 33 km | 36.98°S | 179.16°E | | Felt in the Gisborne area |
15 Oct 2001 | Hastings | Hawke's Bay | 5.8 | | 40 km | 39.69°S, | 176.72°E | | Felt strongly throughout Hawke's Bay |
8 Dec 2001 | Haast | West Coast | 6.2 | | 5 km | 44.11°S | 168.60°E | | Mainshock |
19 Aug 2002 | Fiji Islands | Greater NZ Region | | 7.7 | 694 km | 23.81°S | 178.36°E | | Buildings swayed in Auckland for 2 minutes |
22 Aug 2003 | Fiordland | Southland | 7.0 | 7.2 | 24 km | 45.19°S, | 166.83°E | | Felt throughout South Island |
22 Nov 2004 | Puysegur Trench | South of New Zealand | 7.1 | 7.0 | 12 km | 46.57°S | 165.08°E | | Felt strongly in Southland Region |
21 Jan 2005 | Upper Hutt | Wellington | 5.6 | | 30 km | 41.08°S | 175.05°E | | Felt strongly throughout Wellington Region |
14 Mar 2005 | Opunake | Manawatu-Wanganui | 6.4 | | 154 km | 40.17°S | 173.63°E | | Felt strongly throughout central New Zealand |
16 May 2006 | Raoul Island | Kermadec Islands | 7.6 | 7.4 | 150 km | 31.56°S, | 179.30°W | | Felt in East half of New Zealand |
16 May 2006 | Raoul Island | Kermadec Islands | 7.1 | | 33 km | 31.98°S, | 177.21°W | | Felt in East half on North Island |
15 Oct 2007 | George Sound | Southland | 6.7 | 6.7 | 5 km | 44.72°S | 167.39°E | | Felt lower half of South Island |
9 Dec 2007 | Raoul Island | Kermadec Islands | | 7.8 | 152 km | 25.99°S | 177.51°W | | Felt in East half of New Zealand |
20 Dec 2007 | Gisborne | East Cape | 6.7 | 6.6 | 44 km | 38.89°S | 178.44°E | | 2007 Gisborne earthquake |
25 Aug 2008 | Hastings | Hawke's Bay | 5.9 | | 31 km | 39.71°S | 176.85°E | | 2008 Hastings earthquake |
15 Jul 2009 | Dusky Sound | Southland | | 7.8 | 12 km | 45.76°S | 166.58°E | | 2009 Fiordland earthquake |
2010 to present
Earthquakes resulting in fatalities
References
- 1 2 3 "Alpine Fault". GNS Science. Retrieved 29 November 2011.
- ↑ Maclean, Chris (3 March 2009). "Creation stories and landscape - Wellington region". Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 29 November 2011.
- 1 2 Louise E. Cullen, Richard P. Duncan, Andrew Wells & Glenn H. Stewart (2003). "Floodplain and regional scale variation in earthquake effects on forests, Westland, New Zealand". Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand 33 (4). doi:10.1080/03014223.2003.9517753. Retrieved 29 November 2011.
- ↑ GeoNet. "M 8.2, Wairarapa, January 23, 1855". Retrieved 26 December 2011.
- ↑ McSaveney, M.J., Graham, I.J., Begg, J.G., Beu, A.G., Hull, A.G., Kyeong, K. & Zondervan, A. 2006. Late Holocene uplift of beach ridges at Turakirae Head, south Wellington coast, New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics abstracts, 49, 337-358.
- ↑ Rodgers, D.W.; Little T.A. (2006). "World's largest coseismic strike-slip offset: The 1855 rupture of the Wairarapa Fault, New Zealand, and implications for displacement/length scaling of continental earthquakes". Journal of Geophysical Research 111 (B12408). Bibcode:2006JGRB..11112408R. doi:10.1029/2005JB004065.
- ↑ McSaveney, Eileen (2 Mar 2009). "Story: Historic earthquakes Page 3 – The 1855 Wairarapa earthquake". Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 26 December 2011.
- ↑ "Where were NZs largest earthquakes? / New Zealand Earthquakes / Earthquakes / Science Topics / Learning / Home - GNS Science". Gns.cri.nz. Retrieved 2016-02-02.
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/20140716222502/http://cdemhawkesbay.govt.nz/hawkes-bay-civil-defence-emergency-management-group/earthquakes_idl=2_idt=496_id=1814_.html. Archived from the original on July 16, 2014. Retrieved October 22, 2014.
- ↑ "New Zealand’s deadliest earthquakes and past earthquakes in Christchurch". Natural Hazards Research Platform. Retrieved 6 June 2012.
- ↑ "City Council". The Star (4263). 20 December 1881. p. 4. Retrieved 14 April 2013.
- ↑ "Magnitude 8 and Greater Earthquakes Since 1900". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 15 March 2012.
- ↑ "Quakes". GeoNet.org.nz. 1950-03-01. Retrieved 2016-02-02.
- ↑ "Quakes". GeoNet.org.nz. 1951-02-10. Retrieved 2016-02-02.
- ↑ "Significant Earthquakes of the World". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 15 March 2012.
- ↑ Geonet
- ↑ "GeoNet - Quakes". www.geonet.org.nz. Retrieved 2015-12-12.
- ↑ "M7.0 - South Island of New Zealand". earthquake.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2015-12-12.
- ↑ "List of deceased - Christchurch earthquake". New Zealand Police. 3 May 2011. Retrieved 31 May 2011.
- ↑ "GeoNet - Quakes". www.geonet.org.nz. Retrieved 2015-12-12.
- ↑ "M6.1 - South Island of New Zealand". earthquake.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2015-12-12.
- ↑ "GeoNet - Quakes". www.geonet.org.nz. Retrieved 2015-12-12.
- ↑ "M5.2 - South Island of New Zealand". earthquake.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2015-12-12.
- ↑ "GeoNet - Quakes". www.geonet.org.nz. Retrieved 2015-12-12.
- ↑ "M5.9 - South Island of New Zealand". earthquake.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2015-12-12.
- ↑ "GeoNet - Quakes". www.geonet.org.nz. Retrieved 2015-12-12.
- ↑ "M5.5 - North Island of New Zealand". earthquake.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2015-12-12.
- ↑ "GeoNet - Quakes". www.geonet.org.nz. Retrieved 2015-12-12.
- ↑ "M7.6 - Kermadec Islands region". earthquake.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2015-12-12.
- ↑ "GeoNet - Quakes". www.geonet.org.nz. Retrieved 2015-12-12.
- ↑ "M7.4 - Kermadec Islands region". earthquake.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2015-12-12.
- ↑ "GeoNet - Quakes". www.geonet.org.nz. Retrieved 2015-12-12.
- ↑ "GeoNet - Quakes". www.geonet.org.nz. Retrieved 2015-12-12.
- ↑ "M5.9 - South Island of New Zealand". earthquake.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2015-12-12.
- ↑ "GeoNet - Quakes". www.geonet.org.nz. Retrieved 2015-12-12.
- ↑ "M6.3 - Cook Strait, New Zealand". earthquake.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2015-12-12.
- ↑ "GeoNet - Quakes". www.geonet.org.nz. Retrieved 2015-12-12.
- ↑ "M5.5 - 34km E of Blenheim, New Zealand". earthquake.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2015-12-12.
- ↑ "GeoNet - Quakes". www.geonet.org.nz. Retrieved 2015-12-12.
- ↑ "M5.9 - 35km ESE of Blenheim, New Zealand". earthquake.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2015-12-12.
- ↑ "New Zealand Earthquake Report -- Magnitude 6.5, Sunday, July 21, 2013 at 5:09:30 pm (NZST)". GNS Science. Retrieved 21 July 2013.
- ↑ "M6.5 - 46km ESE of Blenheim, New Zealand". earthquake.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2015-12-12.
- ↑ "New Zealand Earthquake Report -- Magnitude 6.6, Friday, August 16, 2013 at 2:31:05 pm (NZST)". GNS Science. Retrieved 17 August 2013.
- ↑ "M6.5 - 29km SE of Blenheim, New Zealand". earthquake.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2015-12-12.
- ↑ "New Zealand Earthquake Report -- Magnitude 6.0, Friday, 16 August 2013 at 5:31:16 pm (NZST)". GNS Science. Retrieved 6 September 2013.
- ↑ "M5.9 - 30km ESE of Blenheim, New Zealand". earthquake.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2015-12-12.
- ↑ "New Zealand Earthquake Report Magnitude 6.2, Monday, January 20, 2014 at 3:52:45 pm (NZDT)". GeoNet. 21 January 2014. Retrieved 21 January 2014.
- ↑ "M6.1 - 35km NNE of Masterton, New Zealand". earthquake.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2015-12-12.
- ↑ "GeoNet - Quakes". www.geonet.org.nz. Retrieved 2015-12-12.
- ↑ "M5.1 - 44km SW of Hastings, New Zealand". earthquake.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2015-12-12.
- ↑ "New Zealand Earthquake Report Magnitude 5.5, Tuesday, September 23, 2014 at 2:41:22 am (NZDT)". GNS Science. Retrieved 26 September 2014.
- 1 2 "M5.2 - 32km ESE of Palmerston North, New Zealand". earthquake.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2015-12-12.
- ↑ "New Zealand Earthquake Report Magnitude 5.2, Tuesday, September 23, 2014 at 2:41:36 am (NZDT)". GNS Science. Retrieved 26 September 2014.
- ↑ "New Zealand Earthquake Report Magnitude 6.2, Mon, Oct 13 2014, 6:13:41 pm (NZDT)". GNS Science. Retrieved 13 October 2014.
- ↑ "M5.8 - 159km W of Riverton, New Zealand". earthquake.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2015-12-12.
- ↑ "New Zealand Earthquake Report Magnitude 6.5, Tue, Oct 14 2014, 5:12:30 pm (NZDT)". GNS Science. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
- ↑ "M5.7 - South of the Kermadec Islands". earthquake.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2015-12-12.
- ↑ "GeoNet - Quakes". www.geonet.org.nz. Retrieved 2015-12-12.
- ↑ "M6.7 - 183km NE of Gisborne, New Zealand". earthquake.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2015-12-12.
- ↑ "GeoNet - Quakes". geonet.org.nz. Retrieved 2015-12-12.
- ↑ "M5.6 - 43km SSE of Hokitika, New Zealand". earthquake.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2015-12-12.
- ↑ "GeoNet - Quakes". geonet.org.nz. Retrieved 2015-12-12.
- ↑ "M6.1 - 67km NW of Kaikoura, New Zealand". earthquake.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2015-12-12.
- ↑ "GeoNet - Quakes". geonet.org.nz. Retrieved 2015-12-12.
- 1 2 "M5.6 - 28km NW of Wanaka, New Zealand". earthquake.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2015-12-12.
- ↑ "GeoNet - Quakes". geonet.org.nz. Retrieved 2015-12-12.
- ↑ "GeoNet - Quakes". geonet.org.nz. Retrieved 2016-02-03.
- ↑ "GeoNet - Quakes". geonet.org.nz. Retrieved 2016-02-03.
- ↑ "5.9 magnitude earthquake hits near Christchurch, New Zealand". smh.com.au. Retrieved 2016-02-14.
- ↑ "GeoNet - Quakes - Magnitude 5.7, Sun, Feb 14 2016, 1:13:43 pm (NZDT)". geonet.org.nz. Retrieved 2016-02-14.