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New Zealand · Taranaki

M3.1 Earthquake near South Taranaki District, Taranaki (New Zealand)

UTC time: 2026-01-20 03:29:07 UTC Local time: —
Magnitude
M3.1
Depth
131.3 km
Source
EMSC

Taranaki · South Taranaki District

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About this earthquake

On January 20, 2026 at 03:29 UTC, a magnitude M3.1 earthquake occurred near South Taranaki District, Taranaki (New Zealand). At around 131 km, the focal depth places this among intermediate-depth events. Shaking of this size is frequently noticed but usually harmless.

The data is provided by EMSC and cross-checked across seismological networks. New Zealand: over the past 24 hours, QuakeMap24 logged 5 earthquakes, the strongest at M4.0.

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 131.3 km (Intermediate) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 131.3 km
Intermediate
131.3 km
131.3 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

Volcanoes nearby

  • Taranaki
    Distance: 43 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'518 m ·Last eruption: 1800 ·New Zealand
  • Ruapehu
    Distance: 93 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'797 m ·Last eruption: 2007 ·New Zealand
  • Tongariro
    Distance: 102 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 1'978 m ·Last eruption: 2012 ·New Zealand
  • Taupo
    Distance: 142 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 760 m ·Last eruption: 260 ·New Zealand
  • Okataina
    Distance: 226 km ·Lava dome(s) ·Elevation: 1'111 m ·Last eruption: 1981 ·New Zealand
  • Tuhua/Mayor Island
    Distance: 287 km ·Shield ·Elevation: 355 m ·Last eruption: -5055 ·New Zealand

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

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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