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New Zealand · Wellington

M4.9 Earthquake near Masterton District, Wellington (New Zealand)

UTC time: 2026-01-13 10:21:32 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
M4.9
Depth
22.8 km
Source
USGS

Wellington · Masterton District

Country overview

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About this earthquake

On January 13, 2026 at 10:21 UTC, a magnitude M4.9 earthquake occurred near Masterton District, Wellington (New Zealand). The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 23 km, increasing how strongly it was felt. Earthquakes of this magnitude are clearly felt; minor damage to vulnerable buildings is possible.

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

Details

ID
976cd462aceb3baafec72500908f5f2a34b4beab
Magnitude
M4.9
Depth
22.8 km
UTC time
2026-01-13 10:21:32 UTC
Local time
—
Country
New Zealand
State
Wellington
City
Masterton District
Source
usgs
Coordinates
-40.68550, 176.13910
Temperature
14.0°C

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 22.8 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 22.8 km
Shallow
22.8 km
22.8 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: 164 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'797 m ·Last eruption: 2007 ·New Zealand
  • Tongariro
    Distance: 175 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 1'978 m ·Last eruption: 2012 ·New Zealand
  • Taupo
    Distance: 213 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 760 m ·Last eruption: 260 ·New Zealand
  • Taranaki
    Distance: 234 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'518 m ·Last eruption: 1800 ·New Zealand
  • Okataina
    Distance: 283 km ·Lava dome(s) ·Elevation: 1'111 m ·Last eruption: 1981 ·New Zealand
  • Whakaari/White Island
    Distance: 363 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 294 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·New Zealand

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

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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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