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M5.9 Earthquake near KERMADEC ISLANDS, NEW ZEALAND

UTC time: 2026-08-30 09:02:09 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. How our reports are produced ↗

Magnitude
M5.9
Depth
35.0 km
Source
EMSC

KERMADEC ISLANDS, NEW ZEALAND

Map

M5.9 Earthquake near KERMADEC ISLANDS, NEW ZEALAND · 2026-08-30 — Map showing the location of the epicenter
M5.9 Earthquake near KERMADEC ISLANDS, NEW ZEALAND · 2026-08-30 — Map showing the location of the epicenter

About this earthquake

A magnitude M5.9 earthquake was recorded near KERMADEC ISLANDS, NEW ZEALAND on August 30, 2026 at 09:02 UTC. The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 35 km, increasing how strongly it was felt. Earthquakes of this magnitude can damage poorly built structures.

The event was recorded by EMSC.

Details

ID
76cb20276c6b4c520104064b1f9b815b90451435
Magnitude
M5.9
Depth
35.0 km
UTC time
2026-08-30 09:02:09 UTC
Local time
—
Country
—
Source
emsc
Coordinates
-30.06970, -177.18530
Temperature
17.5°C

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 35 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 35 km
Shallow
35 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.

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 67 km away

Nearby population centers

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

PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation
Whangarei1011.6 kmSW50'900
Tauranga1045.2 kmSW161'000
Auckland1060.3 kmSW1'547'200

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Raoul Island
    Distance: 114 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 516 m ·Last eruption: 2006 ·New Zealand
  • Macauley
    Distance: 125 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 238 m ·Last eruption: -4360 ·New Zealand
  • Curtis Island
    Distance: 142 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 47 m ·New Zealand
  • Giggenbach
    Distance: 147 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: -65 m ·New Zealand
  • Havre Seamount
    Distance: 210 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: -897 m ·Last eruption: 2012 ·New Zealand
  • Wright
    Distance: 275 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: -900 m ·New Zealand

Comparison of seismic sources

2 sources currently report magnitudes from M5.9 to M5.9.

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

SourceMagnitudeDepthPosition difference
GFZM5.910.0 km37.2 km
EMSCM5.935.0 km0.0 km

No unambiguous area assignment

Context for this earthquake

This event has no unambiguous country assignment in the analysed catalogue. It is therefore not assigned to a regional profile.

Earthquake overview

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#6
Earlier events M≥4100
Earlier events M≥564
Compared since2025-01-03

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

Strongest earlier events

M6.22026-07-30 05:08:34 UTC130.4 kmNew Zealand [Sea] M6.22026-07-21 12:14:41 UTC76.9 kmNew Zealand [Sea] M6.12026-02-04 10:39:29 UTC145.9 km###.# km ( ###.# mi) SW (az= 228.2) from San Miguel Is., CA M6.12026-02-04 10:39:29 UTC145.9 kmKermadec Islands, New Zealand M6.12026-02-04 10:39:29 UTC126.5 kmKermadec Islands

Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)
512
Country (24h)
—
—
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