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New Zealand · Taranaki

M5.0 Earthquake near Taranaki (New Zealand)

UTC time: 2026-01-08 19:29:36 UTC Local time: —
Earthquake newsQuakeMap24
Archive record · original publication time was not recorded Content updated:

Automatically generated from measurement data by QuakeMap24. Values may change after further analysis.

Map

M5.0 Earthquake near Taranaki (New Zealand) · 2026-01-08 — Map showing the location of the epicenter
M5.0 Earthquake near Taranaki (New Zealand) · 2026-01-08 — Map showing the location of the epicenter

About this earthquake

On January 8, 2026 at 19:29 UTC, a magnitude M5.0 earthquake occurred near Taranaki (New Zealand). The earthquake originated at an intermediate depth of about 106 km. Earthquakes of this magnitude can damage poorly built structures.

The event was recorded by EMSC. New Zealand: 5 earthquakes were recorded in the past 24 hours, the strongest reaching M4.0.

Details

ID
c1f7872150e12771167c5848062b228764c54476
Magnitude
M5.0
Depth
105.9 km
UTC time
2026-01-08 19:29:36 UTC
Local time
—
Country
New Zealand
State
Taranaki
City
Taranaki
Source
emsc
Coordinates
-39.84400, 174.49520
Temperature
18.5°C

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 105.9 km (Intermediate) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 105.9 km
Intermediate
105.9 km
105.9 km — deeper than the regional average (70.9 km)
Regional average: 70.9 km
Why depth matters

Intermediate-depth quakes are felt across a wider area but usually cause less surface damage.

Depth classes per USGS

Felt reports

3felt reports at EMSC / LastQuake

Voluntary reports of feeling this earthquake. The count is not an intensity measurement and is not added to USGS DYFI reports.

Data updated: Jan 8, 2026, 7:55 PM UTC · Last checked: Sep 6, 2026, 12:18 PM UTC

Source: EMSC / LastQuake

Nearby population centers

Distances are straight-line distances from the epicenter. Population data: GeoNames.

PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation
Whanganui48.4 kmE49'200
Lower Hutt156.7 kmS114'200
Auckland333.9 kmN1'547'200

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Taranaki
    Distance: 71 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'518 m ·Last eruption: 1800 ·New Zealand
  • Ruapehu
    Distance: 111 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'797 m ·Last eruption: 2007 ·New Zealand
  • Tongariro
    Distance: 124 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 1'978 m ·Last eruption: 2012 ·New Zealand
  • Taupo
    Distance: 169 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 760 m ·Last eruption: 260 ·New Zealand
  • Okataina
    Distance: 256 km ·Lava dome(s) ·Elevation: 1'111 m ·Last eruption: 1981 ·New Zealand
  • Tuhua/Mayor Island
    Distance: 323 km ·Shield ·Elevation: 355 m ·Last eruption: -5055 ·New Zealand

Radius · 100 km

Nearby infrastructure

Up to 3 nearest sites per category

Airports

  • Wanganui AirportNew Zealand · WAG · NZWU
    47.1 kmStraight-line distance
  • New Plymouth AirportNew Zealand · NPL · NZNP
    96.8 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

Subsequent earthquakes nearby

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

First 6 hours2
First 24 hours2
First 72 hours2
Strongest subsequent eventM5.1
M5.02026-01-08 19:29:37 UTC5.0 kmTaranaki M5.12026-01-08 19:29:37 UTC10.9 kmSouth Taranaki District M3.12026-01-12 02:13:46 UTC143.1 kmTararua District M3.12026-01-15 12:26:15 UTC109.5 kmWellington M3.32026-01-17 18:20:26 UTC145.4 kmMarlborough M3.12026-01-20 03:29:07 UTC41.0 kmSouth Taranaki District M3.02026-01-21 05:40:05 UTC128.7 kmPaekākāriki M3.32026-01-22 02:35:06 UTC103.1 kmRuapehu District M3.12026-01-22 10:40:40 UTC125.7 kmMarlborough M3.32026-01-23 05:41:48 UTC123.7 kmCOOK STRAIT, NEW ZEALAND M3.52026-01-24 20:55:53 UTC77.7 kmRangitīkei District M3.22026-01-26 00:51:18 UTC87.7 kmStratford District

Taranaki

Context for this earthquake

05 Oct 2025 – 05 Oct 2026 · M ≥ 3.0 · 34 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

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#1
Earlier events M≥416
Earlier events M≥50
Compared since2025-02-14

The QuakeMap24 comparison dataset begins on 2024-03-23. Earlier earthquakes may not be included.

Strongest earlier events

M4.92025-08-30 11:31:28 UTC145.1 km32 km NW of Waikawa, New Zealand M4.92025-08-30 11:31:26 UTC147.2 kmSOUTH ISLAND OF NEW ZEALAND M4.92025-07-30 05:27:21 UTC148.5 kmNORTH ISLAND OF NEW ZEALAND M4.62025-11-10 18:51:33 UTC120.6 km65 km WNW of Turangi, New Zealand M4.62025-11-10 18:51:31 UTC117.7 kmNORTH ISLAND OF NEW ZEALAND

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.

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