Back to map
New Zealand · Manawatū-Whanganui

M3.9 Earthquake near Tararua District, Manawatū-Whanganui (New Zealand)

UTC time: 2026-10-12 06:52:19 UTC Local time: —
Magnitude
M3.9
Depth
26.2 km
Source
EMSC

Manawatū-Whanganui · Tararua District

Country overview

Map

About this earthquake

On October 12, 2026 at 06:52 UTC, a magnitude M3.9 earthquake occurred near Tararua District, Manawatū-Whanganui (New Zealand). With a focal depth of about 26 km, this was a shallow earthquake, whose shaking is usually felt more strongly at the surface. Shaking of this size is frequently noticed but usually harmless.

The event was recorded by EMSC.

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 26.2 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 26.2 km
Shallow
26.2 km
26.2 km — shallower than the regional average (70.2 km)
Regional average: 70.2 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: 153 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'797 m ·Last eruption: 2007 ·New Zealand
  • Tongariro
    Distance: 166 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 1'978 m ·Last eruption: 2012 ·New Zealand
  • Taupo
    Distance: 206 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 760 m ·Last eruption: 260 ·New Zealand
  • Taranaki
    Distance: 212 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'518 m ·Last eruption: 1800 ·New Zealand
  • Okataina
    Distance: 282 km ·Lava dome(s) ·Elevation: 1'111 m ·Last eruption: 1981 ·New Zealand
  • Whakaari/White Island
    Distance: 365 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 294 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·New Zealand

Radius · 50 km

Nearby infrastructure

Up to 3 nearest sites per category

Airports

  • Palmerston North AirportNew Zealand · PMR · NZPM
    40.4 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

Manawatū-Whanganui

Context for this earthquake

05 Oct 2025 – 05 Oct 2026 · M ≥ 3.0 · 107 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.

Share