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New Zealand · Waikato

M5.3 Earthquake near Maniaiti / Benneydale, Waikato (New Zealand)

UTC time: 2026-10-15 05:25:32 UTC Local time: —

Magnitude

M5.3

Depth: 286.0 km
Source: USGS

Waikato · Maniaiti / Benneydale

Country overview

Map

M5.3 Earthquake near Maniaiti / Benneydale, Waikato (New Zealand) · 2026-10-15 — Map showing the location of the epicenter

About this earthquake

A magnitude M5.3 earthquake was recorded near Maniaiti / Benneydale, Waikato (New Zealand) on October 15, 2026 at 05:25 UTC. The earthquake originated at an intermediate depth of about 286 km. Events of this size can cause damage near the epicenter.

The data is provided by USGS and cross-checked across seismological networks. New Zealand: over the past 24 hours, QuakeMap24 logged 6 earthquakes, the strongest at M4.0.

Details

35dd3f64713a8c6b2172e0b14753c2e65b684ec5

Magnitude

M5.3

Depth

286.0 km

UTC time

2026-10-15 05:25:32 UTC

Local time

—

Country

New Zealand

State

Waikato

City

Maniaiti / Benneydale

County

Waitomo District

Village

Maniaiti / Benneydale

Source

usgs

Coordinates

-38.54780, 175.38140

Temperature

8.2°C

Depth profile

Intermediate

286 km

286 km — deeper than the regional average (71 km)

Regional average: 71 km

Why depth matters

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

Depth classes per USGS

Estimated impact

Green No or minimal impact expected.

9 Felt reports · max reported intensity 2.7

Ground shaking

III

Weak · Intensity (MMI) III

Felt by a few, no damage.

Tectonic context

Located on the Australia Plate.

Near the boundary Kermadec ↔ Australia · about 53 km away

Nearby population centers

Distances are straight-line distances from the epicenter. Population data: GeoNames.

PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation

Taupo63.4 kmE27'000

Hamilton88.9 kmN192'100

Auckland199.7 kmN1'547'200

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

Taupo

Distance: 51 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 760 m ·Last eruption: 260 ·New Zealand
Tongariro

Distance: 71 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 1'978 m ·Last eruption: 2012 ·New Zealand
Ruapehu

Distance: 83 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'797 m ·Last eruption: 2007 ·New Zealand
Okataina

Distance: 107 km ·Lava dome(s) ·Elevation: 1'111 m ·Last eruption: 1981 ·New Zealand
Taranaki

Distance: 141 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'518 m ·Last eruption: 1800 ·New Zealand
Tuhua/Mayor Island

Distance: 160 km ·Shield ·Elevation: 355 m ·Last eruption: -5055 ·New Zealand

Radius · 100 km

Nearby infrastructure

Up to 3 nearest sites per category

Airports

Taupo AirportNew Zealand · TUO · NZAP
64.6 kmStraight-line distance
Hamilton International AirportNew Zealand · HLZ · NZHN
75.8 kmStraight-line distance
Rotorua Regional AirportNew Zealand · ROT · NZRO
95.1 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

Subsequent earthquakes nearby

Events recorded after this earthquake within 150 km. They are not automatically classified as aftershocks.

First 6 hours0

First 24 hours0

First 72 hours2

Strongest subsequent eventM3.3

M3.02026-10-17 03:51:08 UTC138.0 kmWhakatāne District M3.32026-10-17 15:06:19 UTC76.8 kmSouth Waikato District M3.22026-10-18 19:36:28 UTC65.7 kmSouth Waikato District

Comparison of seismic sources

3 sources currently report magnitudes from M4.8 to M5.4.

Measurements can differ because agencies use different networks and calculation methods. Values may be revised.

SourceMagnitudeDepthPosition difference

EMSCM5.4298.3 km3.8 km

GFZM4.8274.0 km19.2 km

USGSM5.3286.0 km0.0 km

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

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#2

Earlier events M≥436

Earlier events M≥52

Compared since2025-01-06

The QuakeMap24 comparison dataset begins on 2024-03-23. Earlier earthquakes may not be included.

Strongest earlier events

M5.82026-07-24 16:51:38 UTC36.8 kmTaumarunui M5.12026-10-02 13:57:16 UTC105.7 kmNew Plymouth District M4.92026-05-09 21:52:48 UTC15.3 kmRuapehu District M4.92026-05-09 21:52:47 UTC29.1 kmRuapehu District M4.92025-07-30 05:27:23 UTC55.0 km6 km N of Turangi, New Zealand

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