Magnitude
M3.1
- Depth
- 2.0 km
- Source
- EMSC
Bay of Plenty · Bay of Plenty
Country overviewNew Zealand · Bay of Plenty
M3.1 Earthquake near Bay of Plenty (New Zealand)
Map
About this earthquake
A magnitude M3.1 earthquake was recorded near Bay of Plenty (New Zealand) on March 18, 2026 at 21:51 UTC. With a focal depth of about 2 km, this was a shallow earthquake, whose shaking is usually felt more strongly at the surface. Shaking of this size is frequently noticed but usually harmless.
The event was recorded by EMSC. New Zealand: 5 earthquakes were recorded in the past 24 hours, the strongest reaching M4.0.
Details
ID
586266ff9b9236eb4d894689a42e1d9c6fc76d45
Magnitude
M3.1
Depth
2.0 km
UTC time
2026-03-18 21:51:49 UTC
Local time
—
Country
State
City
Source
emsc
Coordinates
-37.37930,
177.10260
Temperature
20.5°C
Depth profile
Shallow
2 km
2 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
Volcanoes nearby
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 profileHistoric earthquake map · New Zealand
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Country statistics · New Zealand
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Stats (last 24h)
Global (24h)
612
Country (24h)
New Zealand
5
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