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New Zealand · Bay of Plenty

M3.6 Earthquake near Whakatāne District, Bay of Plenty (New Zealand)

UTC time: 2026-08-03 11:14:40 UTC Local time: —
Magnitude
M3.6
Depth
45.7 km
Source
EMSC

Bay of Plenty · Whakatāne District

Country overview

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About this earthquake

On August 3, 2026 at 11:14 UTC, a magnitude M3.6 earthquake occurred near Whakatāne District, Bay of Plenty (New Zealand). The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 46 km, increasing how strongly it was felt. Shaking of this size is frequently noticed but usually harmless.

The data is provided by EMSC and cross-checked across seismological networks. New Zealand: over the past 24 hours, QuakeMap24 logged 3 earthquakes, the strongest at M4.0.

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 45.7 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 45.7 km
Shallow
45.7 km
45.7 km — shallower than the regional average (70.1 km)
Regional average: 70.1 km
Why depth matters

Shallow quakes release energy near the surface — shaking is felt more strongly and damage potential is higher.

Depth classes per USGS

Volcanoes nearby

  • Okataina
    Distance: 46 km ·Lava dome(s) ·Elevation: 1'111 m ·Last eruption: 1981 ·New Zealand
  • Whakaari/White Island
    Distance: 88 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 294 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·New Zealand
  • Taupo
    Distance: 110 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 760 m ·Last eruption: 260 ·New Zealand
  • Tuhua/Mayor Island
    Distance: 131 km ·Shield ·Elevation: 355 m ·Last eruption: -5055 ·New Zealand
  • Tongariro
    Distance: 152 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 1'978 m ·Last eruption: 2012 ·New Zealand
  • Ruapehu
    Distance: 165 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'797 m ·Last eruption: 2007 ·New Zealand

Radius · 50 km

Nearby infrastructure

Up to 3 nearest sites per category

Airports

  • Whakatāne AirportNew Zealand · WHK · NZWK
    42.4 kmStraight-line distance

Source: OurAirports · Dataset date: 2026-10-04

This selection shows geographic proximity, not a hazard zone or confirmed impacts. Distances use recorded site coordinates. Sources & data dates

Bay of Plenty

Context for this earthquake

04 Oct 2025 – 04 Oct 2026 · M ≥ 3.0 · 115 Catalogue entries

Of 114 other entries for this area and period, 22 have a higher stored magnitude. Different magnitude types and reports not yet merged limit the comparison.

Open seismic profile

Historic earthquake map · New Zealand

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Explore recent and long-term earthquake activity in this country. Use filters to narrow down by magnitude, depth, and date range.

Country statistics · New Zealand

Country overview
View earthquake KPIs, strongest and latest events, and averages for this country.

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