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New Zealand · Manawatū-Whanganui

M3.0 Earthquake near Tararua District, Manawatū-Whanganui (New Zealand)

UTC time: 2026-01-23 14:30:54 UTC Local time: —
Magnitude
M3.0
Depth
21.5 km
Source
EMSC

Manawatū-Whanganui · Tararua District

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About this earthquake

A magnitude M3.0 earthquake was recorded near Tararua District, Manawatū-Whanganui (New Zealand) on January 23, 2026 at 14:30 UTC. With a focal depth of about 22 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. New Zealand: over the past 24 hours, QuakeMap24 logged 5 earthquakes, the strongest at M4.0.

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 21.5 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 21.5 km
Shallow
21.5 km
21.5 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: 142 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'797 m ·Last eruption: 2007 ·New Zealand
  • Tongariro
    Distance: 152 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 1'978 m ·Last eruption: 2012 ·New Zealand
  • Taupo
    Distance: 186 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 760 m ·Last eruption: 260 ·New Zealand
  • Taranaki
    Distance: 230 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'518 m ·Last eruption: 1800 ·New Zealand
  • Okataina
    Distance: 252 km ·Lava dome(s) ·Elevation: 1'111 m ·Last eruption: 1981 ·New Zealand
  • Whakaari/White Island
    Distance: 330 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 294 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·New Zealand

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.

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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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