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M5.6 Earthquake near south of the Kermadec Islands

UTC time: 2026-05-06 11:46:49 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.

Magnitude
M5.6
Depth
10.0 km
Source
USGS

south of the Kermadec Islands

Map

M5.6 Earthquake near south of the Kermadec Islands · 2026-05-06 — Map showing the location of the epicenter
M5.6 Earthquake near south of the Kermadec Islands · 2026-05-06 — Map showing the location of the epicenter

About this earthquake

On May 6, 2026 at 11:46 UTC, a magnitude M5.6 earthquake occurred near south of the 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 USGS and cross-checked across seismological networks.

Details

ID
8f3e1a1eaaa216690b3f418cecf2e1d500263f36
Magnitude
M5.6
Depth
10.0 km
UTC time
2026-05-06 11:46:49 UTC
Local time
—
Country
—
Source
usgs
Coordinates
-32.16710, -177.93390
Temperature
20.2°C

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
Whakatane792.5 kmSW18'602
Tauranga815.6 kmSW161'000
Auckland847.3 kmSW1'547'200

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Wright
    Distance: 123 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: -900 m ·New Zealand
  • Havre Seamount
    Distance: 160 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: -897 m ·Last eruption: 2012 ·New Zealand
  • Curtis Island
    Distance: 190 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 47 m ·New Zealand
  • Macauley
    Distance: 224 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 238 m ·Last eruption: -4360 ·New Zealand
  • Giggenbach
    Distance: 248 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: -65 m ·New Zealand
  • Raoul Island
    Distance: 322 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 516 m ·Last eruption: 2006 ·New Zealand

Subsequent earthquakes nearby

Events recorded after this earthquake within 150 km. They are not automatically classified as aftershocks.

First 6 hours1
First 24 hours1
First 72 hours1
Strongest subsequent eventM5.2
M5.02026-05-06 11:46:50 UTC16.5 kmEvent of magnitude 5.0, near Auckland (Monde) M4.62026-05-16 01:22:16 UTC75.6 kmSOUTH OF KERMADEC ISLANDS M4.62026-05-16 01:22:16 UTC75.6 kmSouth of Kermadec Islands M5.02026-05-16 06:48:55 UTC36.7 kmSOUTH OF KERMADEC ISLANDS M5.22026-05-16 06:48:56 UTC15.1 kmSouth of Kermadec Islands

Comparison of seismic sources

2 sources currently report magnitudes from M5.6 to M5.6.

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

SourceMagnitudeDepthPosition difference
NNSNM5.610.0 km0.0 km
USGSM5.610.0 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#12
Earlier events M≥4129
Earlier events M≥585
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 UTC76.4 kmNew Zealand [Sea] M6.22026-04-18 10:48:00 UTC32.4 kmNew Zealand [Sea] M6.02026-04-18 18:29:54 UTC86.4 kmNew Zealand [Sea] M6.02026-04-16 13:30:02 UTC3.4 kmSOUTH OF KERMADEC ISLANDS M6.02026-04-16 13:30:01 UTC12.3 kmsouth of the Kermadec Islands

Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)
615
Country (24h)
—
—
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No recent events available.

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