Magnitude
M3.1
- Depth
- 5.0 km
- Source
- EMSC
Otago · Queenstown-Lakes District
Country overviewNew Zealand · Otago
M3.1 Earthquake near Queenstown-Lakes District, Otago (New Zealand)
Map
About this earthquake
On May 18, 2026 at 02:17 UTC, a magnitude M3.1 earthquake occurred near Queenstown-Lakes District, Otago (New Zealand). The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 5 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 5 earthquakes, the strongest at M4.0.
Details
ID
3996a9744e52da062aed6ecb86ed0dafd495c0c9
Magnitude
M3.1
Depth
5.0 km
UTC time
2026-05-18 02:17:42 UTC
Local time
—
Country
State
County
Source
emsc
Coordinates
-44.52680,
168.25690
Temperature
1.7°C
Depth profile
Shallow
5 km
5 km — shallower than the regional average (70.9 km)
Regional average: 70.9 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
New Zealand
Context for this earthquake
05 Oct 2025 – 05 Oct 2026 · M ≥ 3.0 · 725 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 profileHistoric earthquake map · New Zealand
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Country statistics · New Zealand
View earthquake KPIs, strongest and latest events, and averages for this country.
Stats (last 24h)
Global (24h)
608
Country (24h)
New Zealand
5
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