M6.1 Depth: 8.6 km

M6.1 Earthquake near Off east coast of North Island, New Zealand [Sea: New Zealand]

UTC time: 2026-05-05 08:00:46 UTC Local time:

About this earthquake

On May 5, 2026 at 08:00 UTC, a magnitude M6.1 earthquake occurred near Off east coast of North Island, New Zealand [Sea: New Zealand]. With a focal depth of about 9 km, this was a shallow earthquake, whose shaking is usually felt more strongly at the surface. Earthquakes of this magnitude can cause significant damage in populated areas.

The event was recorded by INGV.

Details

Magnitude
M6.1
Depth
8.6 km
UTC time
2026-05-05 08:00:46 UTC
Local time
Country
Source
ingv
Coordinates
-36.65390, 177.13500
Temperature
18.6°C

Map

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 8.6 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 8.6 km
Shallow
8.6 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

Nearby population centers

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

PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation
Tauranga143.3 kmSW161'000
Auckland212.4 kmW1'547'200

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Clark
    Distance: 67 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: -860 m ·New Zealand
  • Tangaroa
    Distance: 88 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: -600 m ·New Zealand
  • Whakaari/White Island
    Distance: 96 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 294 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·New Zealand
  • Rumble IV
    Distance: 101 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: -500 m ·New Zealand
  • Tuhua/Mayor Island
    Distance: 105 km ·Shield ·Elevation: 355 m ·Last eruption: -5055 ·New Zealand
  • Rumble V
    Distance: 111 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: -400 m ·New Zealand

Subsequent earthquakes nearby

Events recorded after this earthquake within 250 km. They are not automatically classified as aftershocks.

First 6 hours23
First 24 hours30
First 72 hours33
Strongest subsequent eventM5.8

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 250 km.

Magnitude rank#1
Earlier events M≥476
Earlier events M≥512
Compared since2025-01-01

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

Strongest earlier events

Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)
640
Country (24h)
Current earthquakes in
Magnitude Place Local time
No recent events available.

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