Magnitude
M3.2
- Depth
- 69.1 km
- Source
- EMSC
Otago · Queenstown-Lakes District
Country overviewNew Zealand · Otago
M3.2 Earthquake near Queenstown-Lakes District, Otago (New Zealand)
Map
About this earthquake
A magnitude M3.2 earthquake was recorded near Queenstown-Lakes District, Otago (New Zealand) on January 23, 2026 at 09:03 UTC. The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 69 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: 3 earthquakes were recorded in the past 24 hours, the strongest reaching M4.0.
Details
ID
a352bc9e905c6c0b415f384f5cd9939d062e2609
Magnitude
M3.2
Depth
69.1 km
UTC time
2026-01-23 09:03:02 UTC
Local time
—
Country
State
County
Source
emsc
Coordinates
-44.67360,
168.31440
Temperature
5.8°C
Depth profile
Shallow
69.1 km
69.1 km — close to 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
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 profileHistoric earthquake map · New Zealand
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Country statistics · New Zealand
View earthquake KPIs, strongest and latest events, and averages for this country.
Stats (last 24h)
Global (24h)
615
Country (24h)
New Zealand
3
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