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New Zealand · Waikato

M3.1 Earthquake near South Waikato District, Waikato (New Zealand)

UTC time: 2026-08-16 22:12:39 UTC Local time: —
Magnitude
M3.1
Depth
169.3 km
Source
EMSC

Waikato · South Waikato District

Country overview

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About this earthquake

On August 16, 2026 at 22:12 UTC, a magnitude M3.1 earthquake occurred near South Waikato District, Waikato (New Zealand). The earthquake originated at an intermediate depth of about 169 km. Shaking of this size is frequently noticed but usually harmless.

The data is provided by EMSC and cross-checked across seismological networks. New Zealand: 5 earthquakes were recorded in the past 24 hours, the strongest reaching M4.0.

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 169.3 km (Intermediate) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 169.3 km
Intermediate
169.3 km
169.3 km — deeper than the regional average (70.9 km)
Regional average: 70.9 km
Why depth matters

Intermediate-depth quakes are felt across a wider area but usually cause less surface damage.

Depth classes per USGS

Volcanoes nearby

  • Taupo
    Distance: 50 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 760 m ·Last eruption: 260 ·New Zealand
  • Okataina
    Distance: 52 km ·Lava dome(s) ·Elevation: 1'111 m ·Last eruption: 1981 ·New Zealand
  • Tongariro
    Distance: 95 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 1'978 m ·Last eruption: 2012 ·New Zealand
  • Ruapehu
    Distance: 110 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'797 m ·Last eruption: 2007 ·New Zealand
  • Tuhua/Mayor Island
    Distance: 120 km ·Shield ·Elevation: 355 m ·Last eruption: -5055 ·New Zealand
  • Whakaari/White Island
    Distance: 141 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 294 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·New Zealand

Radius · 50 km

Nearby infrastructure

Up to 3 nearest sites per category

Airports

  • Rotorua Regional AirportNew Zealand · ROT · NZRO
    40.7 kmStraight-line distance
  • Taupo AirportNew Zealand · TUO · NZAP
    46.3 kmStraight-line distance

Source: OurAirports · Dataset date: 2026-10-05

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

Waikato

Context for this earthquake

05 Oct 2025 – 05 Oct 2026 · M ≥ 3.0 · 65 Catalogue entries

Sufficiently reliable matching data are not currently available for a direct comparison. The area profile shows the available records and their limitations.

Open seismic profile

Historic earthquake map · New Zealand

Open history map
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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