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New Zealand · West Coast

M3.2 Earthquake near Buller District, West Coast (New Zealand)

UTC time: 2026-02-03 20:28:41 UTC Local time: —

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About this earthquake

On February 3, 2026 at 20:28 UTC, a magnitude M3.2 earthquake occurred near Buller District, West Coast (New Zealand). The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 5 km, increasing how strongly it was felt. Earthquakes of this magnitude are often felt but rarely cause damage.

The event was recorded by EMSC. New Zealand: over the past 24 hours, QuakeMap24 logged 5 earthquakes, the strongest at M4.0.

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 5 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 5 km
Shallow
5 km
5 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

  • Taranaki
    Distance: 261 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'518 m ·Last eruption: 1800 ·New Zealand
  • Ruapehu
    Distance: 352 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'797 m ·Last eruption: 2007 ·New Zealand
  • Tongariro
    Distance: 364 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 1'978 m ·Last eruption: 2012 ·New Zealand
  • Taupo
    Distance: 409 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 760 m ·Last eruption: 260 ·New Zealand
  • Okataina
    Distance: 496 km ·Lava dome(s) ·Elevation: 1'111 m ·Last eruption: 1981 ·New Zealand

West Coast

Context for this earthquake

05 Oct 2025 – 05 Oct 2026 · M ≥ 3.0 · 30 Catalogue entries

Sufficiently reliable matching data are not currently available for a direct comparison. The area profile shows the available records and their limitations.

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