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New Zealand · Bay of Plenty

M3.2 Earthquake near Thornton, Bay of Plenty (New Zealand)

UTC time: 2026-02-28 20:10:59 UTC Local time: —

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About this earthquake

On February 28, 2026 at 20:10 UTC, a magnitude M3.2 earthquake occurred near Thornton, Bay of Plenty (New Zealand). The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 5 km, increasing how strongly it was felt. Earthquakes of this magnitude are often felt but rarely cause damage.

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: 5 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 5 km
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

Felt reports

1felt reports at EMSC / LastQuake

Voluntary reports of feeling this earthquake. The count is not an intensity measurement and is not added to USGS DYFI reports.

Data updated: Feb 28, 2026, 8:15 PM UTC · Last checked: Sep 6, 2026, 12:18 PM UTC

Source: EMSC / LastQuake

Volcanoes nearby

  • Okataina
    Distance: 42 km ·Lava dome(s) ·Elevation: 1'111 m ·Last eruption: 1981 ·New Zealand
  • Whakaari/White Island
    Distance: 52 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 294 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·New Zealand
  • Tuhua/Mayor Island
    Distance: 89 km ·Shield ·Elevation: 355 m ·Last eruption: -5055 ·New Zealand
  • Taupo
    Distance: 129 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 760 m ·Last eruption: 260 ·New Zealand
  • Tongariro
    Distance: 175 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 1'978 m ·Last eruption: 2012 ·New Zealand
  • Clark
    Distance: 184 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: -860 m ·New Zealand

Radius · 50 km

Nearby infrastructure

Up to 3 nearest sites per category

Airports

  • Whakatāne AirportNew Zealand · WHK · NZWK
    4.0 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

Bay of Plenty

Context for this earthquake

05 Oct 2025 – 05 Oct 2026 · M ≥ 3.0 · 115 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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