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M5.0 Depth: 10.0 km

M5.0 Earthquake near SOUTH OF KERMADEC ISLANDS

UTC time: 2026-05-16 06:48:55 UTC Local time: —

About this earthquake

On May 16, 2026 at 06:48 UTC, a magnitude M5.0 earthquake occurred near SOUTH OF KERMADEC ISLANDS. With a focal depth of about 10 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 data is provided by EMSC and cross-checked across seismological networks.

Details

Magnitude
M5.0
Depth
10.0 km
UTC time
2026-05-16 06:48:55 UTC
Local time
—
Country
—
Source
emsc
Coordinates
-31.92820, -178.20300
Temperature
18.9°C

Map

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 10 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 10 km
Shallow
10 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
Whakatane800.9 kmSW18'602
Tauranga820.7 kmSW161'000
Auckland845.6 kmSW1'547'200

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Wright
    Distance: 93 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: -900 m ·New Zealand
  • Havre Seamount
    Distance: 123 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: -897 m ·Last eruption: 2012 ·New Zealand
  • Curtis Island
    Distance: 158 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 47 m ·New Zealand
  • Macauley
    Distance: 193 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 238 m ·Last eruption: -4360 ·New Zealand
  • Giggenbach
    Distance: 216 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: -65 m ·New Zealand
  • Raoul Island
    Distance: 297 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 516 m ·Last eruption: 2006 ·New Zealand

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#74
Earlier events M≥4135
Earlier events M≥583
Compared since2025-01-11

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

Strongest earlier events

M6.32026-04-16 13:29:59 UTC107.4 kmNew Zealand [Sea] M6.22026-04-18 10:48:00 UTC53.8 kmNew Zealand [Sea] M6.02026-04-18 18:29:54 UTC122.8 kmNew Zealand [Sea] M6.02026-04-16 13:30:02 UTC37.8 km M6.02026-04-16 13:30:01 UTC34.3 kmsouth of the Kermadec Islands

Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)
588
Country (24h)
—
—
Current earthquakes in
Magnitude Place Local time
No recent events available.

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