M5.4 Depth: 11.4 km

M5.4 Earthquake near SOUTH OF KERMADEC ISLANDS

UTC time: 2026-04-18 18:29:58 UTC Local time:

About this earthquake

A magnitude M5.4 earthquake was recorded near SOUTH OF KERMADEC ISLANDS on April 18, 2026 at 18:29 UTC. The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 11 km, increasing how strongly it was felt. Events of this size can cause damage near the epicenter.

The event was recorded by EMSC.

Details

Magnitude
M5.4
Depth
11.4 km
UTC time
2026-04-18 18:29:58 UTC
Local time
Country
Source
emsc
Coordinates
-32.41160, -178.05870
Temperature
21.4°C

Map

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 11.4 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 11.4 km
Shallow
11.4 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

Nearby population centers

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

PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation
Whakatane763.4 kmSW18'602
Tauranga787.2 kmSW161'000
Auckland821.0 kmSW1'547'200

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Wright
    Distance: 123 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: -900 m ·New Zealand
  • Havre Seamount
    Distance: 174 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: -897 m ·Last eruption: 2012 ·New Zealand
  • Curtis Island
    Distance: 213 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 47 m ·New Zealand
  • Macauley
    Distance: 248 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 238 m ·Last eruption: -4360 ·New Zealand
  • Giggenbach
    Distance: 271 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: -65 m ·New Zealand
  • Raoul Island
    Distance: 350 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 516 m ·Last eruption: 2006 ·New Zealand

Subsequent earthquakes nearby

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

First 6 hours3
First 24 hours4
First 72 hours13
Strongest subsequent eventM5.6

Comparison of seismic sources

2 sources currently report magnitudes from M5.3 to M5.4.

Measurements can differ because agencies use different networks and calculation methods. Values may be revised.

SourceMagnitudeDepthPosition difference
NNSNM5.334.7 km39.3 km
EMSCM5.411.4 km0.0 km

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#23
Earlier events M≥4111
Earlier events M≥573
Compared since2025-01-10

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

Strongest earlier events

Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)
585
Country (24h)
Current earthquakes in
Magnitude Place Local time
No recent events available.

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