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New Zealand · Taranaki

M3.1 Earthquake near New Plymouth District, Taranaki (New Zealand)

UTC time: 2026-09-19 22:36:00 UTC Local time: —
Magnitude
M3.1
Depth
238.3 km
Source
EMSC

Taranaki · New Plymouth District

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About this earthquake

On September 19, 2026 at 22:36 UTC, a magnitude M3.1 earthquake occurred near New Plymouth District, Taranaki (New Zealand). The earthquake originated at an intermediate depth of about 238 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: over the past 24 hours, QuakeMap24 logged 2 earthquakes, the strongest at M3.3.

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 238.3 km (Intermediate) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 238.3 km
Intermediate
238.3 km
238.3 km — deeper than the regional average (69.4 km)
Regional average: 69.4 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

  • Taranaki
    Distance: 68 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'518 m ·Last eruption: 1800 ·New Zealand
  • Tongariro
    Distance: 85 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 1'978 m ·Last eruption: 2012 ·New Zealand
  • Ruapehu
    Distance: 85 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'797 m ·Last eruption: 2007 ·New Zealand
  • Taupo
    Distance: 105 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 760 m ·Last eruption: 260 ·New Zealand
  • Okataina
    Distance: 180 km ·Lava dome(s) ·Elevation: 1'111 m ·Last eruption: 1981 ·New Zealand
  • Auckland Volcanic Field
    Distance: 227 km ·Volcanic field ·Elevation: 260 m ·Last eruption: 1446 ·New Zealand

Radius · 50 km

Nearby infrastructure

Up to 3 nearest sites per category

Airports

  • New Plymouth AirportNew Zealand · NPL · NZNP
    45.2 kmStraight-line distance

Source: OurAirports · Dataset date: 2026-09-20

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

Taranaki

Context for this earthquake

20 Sep 2025 – 20 Sep 2026 · M ≥ 3.0 · 32 Catalogue entries

Of 31 other entries for this area and period, 17 have a higher stored magnitude. Different magnitude types and reports not yet merged limit the comparison.

Open seismic profile

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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