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New Zealand · Gisborne

M5.6 Earthquake near Gisborne District, Gisborne (New Zealand)

UTC time: 2026-08-02 08:35:27 UTC Local time: —
Earthquake newsQuakeMap24
Archive record · original publication time was not recorded

Automatically generated from measurement data by QuakeMap24. Values may change after further analysis.

Map

M5.6 Earthquake near Gisborne District, Gisborne (New Zealand) · 2026-08-02 — Map showing the location of the epicenter
M5.6 Earthquake near Gisborne District, Gisborne (New Zealand) · 2026-08-02 — Map showing the location of the epicenter

About this earthquake

On August 2, 2026 at 08:35 UTC, a magnitude M5.6 earthquake occurred near Gisborne District, Gisborne (New Zealand). With a focal depth of about 53 km, this was a shallow earthquake, whose shaking is usually felt more strongly at the surface. Events of this size can cause damage near the epicenter.

The event was recorded by USGS. New Zealand: 3 earthquakes were recorded in the past 24 hours, the strongest reaching M3.3.

Details

ID
54b0c7b615522cc087c1471c7de286ae2b64d908
Magnitude
M5.6
Depth
52.8 km
UTC time
2026-08-02 08:35:27 UTC
Local time
—
Country
New Zealand
State
Gisborne
City
Gisborne District
County
Gisborne District
Source
usgs
Coordinates
-37.73000, 178.32870
Temperature
12.5°C

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 52.8 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 52.8 km
Shallow
52.8 km
52.8 km — shallower than the regional average (69.6 km)
Regional average: 69.6 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

Estimated impact

Green No or minimal impact expected.
Estimated population exposed
IV 31'176
24 Felt reports · max reported intensity 4.7

Ground shaking

IV
Light · Intensity (MMI) IV
Felt by many, no damage.

Tectonic context

Located on the Kermadec Plate.
Near the boundary Kermadec ↔ Pacific · about 119 km away

Nearby population centers

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

PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation
Gisborne106.5 kmS38'100
Tauranga190.3 kmW161'000
Auckland330.3 kmW1'547'200

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Whakaari/White Island
    Distance: 104 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 294 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·New Zealand
  • Clark
    Distance: 149 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: -860 m ·New Zealand
  • Tangaroa
    Distance: 159 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: -600 m ·New Zealand
  • Okataina
    Distance: 167 km ·Lava dome(s) ·Elevation: 1'111 m ·Last eruption: 1981 ·New Zealand
  • Rumble V
    Distance: 177 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: -400 m ·New Zealand
  • Rumble IV
    Distance: 180 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: -500 m ·New Zealand

Subsequent earthquakes nearby

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

First 6 hours2
First 24 hours2
First 72 hours3
Strongest subsequent eventM4.9
M3.22026-08-02 08:40:08 UTC2.5 kmGisborne District M3.22026-08-02 09:07:15 UTC13.3 kmGisborne District M3.62026-08-03 11:14:40 UTC132.5 kmWhakatāne District M3.22026-08-05 21:03:06 UTC140.9 kmOFF E. COAST OF N. ISLAND, N.Z. M4.92026-08-06 21:17:29 UTC58.7 kmGisborne M3.72026-08-07 20:43:29 UTC107.4 kmOFF E. COAST OF N. ISLAND, N.Z. M3.02026-08-08 12:05:21 UTC66.4 kmGisborne District M3.32026-08-09 01:23:09 UTC37.6 kmGisborne District M4.82026-08-10 07:17:28 UTC57.0 kmBay of Plenty M3.12026-08-10 11:11:20 UTC133.2 kmEdgecumbe M4.12026-08-11 06:25:08 UTC133.8 kmEdgecumbe M3.32026-08-11 06:50:17 UTC84.6 kmGisborne District

Comparison of seismic sources

5 sources currently report magnitudes from M5.6 to M5.9.

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

SourceMagnitudeDepthPosition difference
GFZM5.910.0 km25.1 km
RESIFM5.610.0 km23.3 km
INGVM5.633.4 km16.1 km
EMSCM5.946.6 km11.2 km
USGSM5.652.8 km0.0 km

New Zealand

Context for this earthquake

20 Sep 2025 – 20 Sep 2026 · M ≥ 3.0 · 717 Catalogue entries

Of 716 other entries for this area and period, 2 have a higher stored magnitude. Different magnitude types and reports not yet merged limit the comparison.

Open seismic profile

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#2
Earlier events M≥442
Earlier events M≥513
Compared since2025-01-05

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

Strongest earlier events

M5.82026-05-05 08:00:44 UTC144.6 kmOff east coast of North Island M5.42026-05-02 21:19:10 UTC27.5 kmOff East Coast of North Island, New Zealand M5.42026-05-05 08:00:44 UTC142.4 kmOff east coast of North Island M5.32026-07-07 20:33:15 UTC90.3 kmOFF E. COAST OF N. ISLAND, N.Z. M5.32026-05-05 08:43:47 UTC144.0 kmOff East Coast of North Island, 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

Country overview
View earthquake KPIs, strongest and latest events, and averages for this country.

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