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New Zealand · Wellington

M3.0 Earthquake near Masterton District, Wellington (New Zealand)

UTC time: 2026-10-19 21:34:36 UTC Local time: —
Magnitude
M3.0
Depth
16.2 km
Source
EMSC

Wellington · Masterton District

Country overview

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About this earthquake

On October 19, 2026 at 21:34 UTC, a magnitude M3.0 earthquake occurred near Masterton District, Wellington (New Zealand). The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 16 km, increasing how strongly it was felt. Shaking of this size is frequently noticed but usually harmless.

The event was recorded by EMSC. New Zealand: 5 earthquakes were recorded in the past 24 hours, the strongest reaching M4.0.

Details

ID
8100b6b66d2963b7cc8615a5bd29842ad900e359
Magnitude
M3.0
Depth
16.2 km
UTC time
2026-10-19 21:34:36 UTC
Local time
—
Country
New Zealand
State
Wellington
City
Masterton District
Source
emsc
Coordinates
-40.86990, 175.60870
Temperature
14.4°C

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 16.2 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 16.2 km
Shallow
16.2 km
16.2 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

  • Ruapehu
    Distance: 177 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'797 m ·Last eruption: 2007 ·New Zealand
  • Tongariro
    Distance: 190 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 1'978 m ·Last eruption: 2012 ·New Zealand
  • Taranaki
    Distance: 218 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'518 m ·Last eruption: 1800 ·New Zealand
  • Taupo
    Distance: 234 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 760 m ·Last eruption: 260 ·New Zealand
  • Okataina
    Distance: 311 km ·Lava dome(s) ·Elevation: 1'111 m ·Last eruption: 1981 ·New Zealand
  • Whakaari/White Island
    Distance: 396 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 294 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·New Zealand

Radius · 50 km

Nearby infrastructure

Up to 3 nearest sites per category

Airports

  • Otaki AirportNew Zealand · NZOT
    39.6 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

New Zealand

Context for this earthquake

05 Oct 2025 – 05 Oct 2026 · M ≥ 3.0 · 725 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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