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New Zealand · Canterbury

M2.0 Earthquake near Kaikōura District, Canterbury (New Zealand)

UTC time: 2026-11-02 15:20:41 UTC Local time: —
Magnitude
M2.0
Depth
26.9 km
Source
GEONET

Canterbury · Kaikōura District

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About this earthquake

A magnitude M2.0 earthquake was recorded near Kaikōura District, Canterbury (New Zealand) on November 2, 2026 at 15:20 UTC. The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 27 km, increasing how strongly it was felt. Events of this size typically go unnoticed.

The data is provided by GeoNet and cross-checked across seismological networks. New Zealand: over the past 24 hours, QuakeMap24 logged 59 earthquakes, the strongest at M3.2.

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 26.9 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 26.9 km
Shallow
26.9 km
26.9 km — shallower than the regional average (64.1 km)
Regional average: 64.1 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

  • Taranaki
    Distance: 314 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'518 m ·Last eruption: 1800 ·New Zealand
  • Ruapehu
    Distance: 350 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'797 m ·Last eruption: 2007 ·New Zealand
  • Tongariro
    Distance: 365 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 1'978 m ·Last eruption: 2012 ·New Zealand
  • Taupo
    Distance: 412 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 760 m ·Last eruption: 260 ·New Zealand
  • Okataina
    Distance: 498 km ·Lava dome(s) ·Elevation: 1'111 m ·Last eruption: 1981 ·New Zealand

New Zealand

Context for this earthquake

05 Oct 2025 – 05 Oct 2026 · M ≥ 2.0 · 728 Catalogue entries

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

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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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