Earthquakes in New Zealand Today
The Pacific plate subducts beneath the North Island at the Hikurangi margin, then the boundary changes character down the South Island into the Alpine Fault, a 600 km strike-slip structure that has ruptured roughly every 300 years and last did so in 1717. Christchurch in 2010-2011 showed how much damage previously unmapped faults can do.
Danger Level (72h)
72-hour composite hazard forecast
Recent Quakes (30d)
Recorded in the last 30 days
Max Magnitude (30d)
Largest earthquake in the last 30 days
Recent earthquakes
Counts cover the seismic belts this platform monitors in New Zealand, not its administrative borders. A monitored belt can reach across a border, and events there are listed with the country of their epicentre.
Volcanoes of New Zealand
1 dedicated profiles · 23 Holocene volcanoes in total
Tectonic setting
The Pacific plate subducts beneath the North Island at the Hikurangi margin, then the boundary changes character down the South Island into the Alpine Fault, a 600 km strike-slip structure that has ruptured roughly every 300 years and last did so in 1717. Christchurch in 2010-2011 showed how much damage previously unmapped faults can do.
Frequently asked questions
What is the emergency number in New Zealand?
The emergency number in New Zealand is 111, answered by NEMA. After strong shaking, keep the line free for those trapped or injured and check official channels for aftershock and tsunami advisories.
Who monitors earthquakes in New Zealand?
The national seismic authority is GeoNet, GNS Science (GeoNet). EarthquakeLive cross-checks its bulletins against 18 international networks, so an event may appear here with a slightly different magnitude until the agencies converge on a final solution.