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New Zealand · Bay of Plenty

M3.4 Earthquake near Rotorua Lakes District, Bay of Plenty (New Zealand)

UTC time: 2026-01-17 12:46:38 UTC Local time: —
Magnitude
M3.4
Depth
150.5 km
Source
EMSC

Bay of Plenty · Rotorua Lakes District

Country overview

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About this earthquake

On January 17, 2026 at 12:46 UTC, a magnitude M3.4 earthquake occurred near Rotorua Lakes District, Bay of Plenty (New Zealand). The earthquake originated at an intermediate depth of about 151 km. 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: 3 earthquakes were recorded in the past 24 hours, the strongest reaching M4.0.

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 150.5 km (Intermediate) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 150.5 km
Intermediate
150.5 km
150.5 km — deeper than the regional average (70.9 km)
Regional average: 70.9 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

  • Okataina
    Distance: 28 km ·Lava dome(s) ·Elevation: 1'111 m ·Last eruption: 1981 ·New Zealand
  • Taupo
    Distance: 81 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 760 m ·Last eruption: 260 ·New Zealand
  • Tuhua/Mayor Island
    Distance: 91 km ·Shield ·Elevation: 355 m ·Last eruption: -5055 ·New Zealand
  • Whakaari/White Island
    Distance: 107 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 294 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·New Zealand
  • Tongariro
    Distance: 128 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 1'978 m ·Last eruption: 2012 ·New Zealand
  • Ruapehu
    Distance: 143 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'797 m ·Last eruption: 2007 ·New Zealand

Radius · 50 km

Nearby infrastructure

Up to 3 nearest sites per category

Airports

  • Rotorua Regional AirportNew Zealand · ROT · NZRO
    10.3 kmStraight-line distance
  • Tauranga AirportNew Zealand · TRG · NZTG
    47.1 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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