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New Zealand · Wellington

M1.6 Earthquake near Wellington (New Zealand)

UTC time: 2026-11-08 20:42:35 UTC Local time: —

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About this earthquake

A magnitude M1.6 earthquake was recorded near Wellington (New Zealand) on November 8, 2026 at 20:42 UTC. With a focal depth of about 40 km, this was a shallow earthquake, whose shaking is usually felt more strongly at the surface. Earthquakes of this small magnitude are usually barely noticeable and cause no damage.

The event was recorded by GeoNet. New Zealand: 65 earthquakes were recorded in the past 24 hours, the strongest reaching M3.2.

Details

ID
e8d62c9b5ed1eafe0ed9b885170e766306ded697
Magnitude
M1.6
Depth
39.7 km
UTC time
2026-11-08 20:42:35 UTC
Local time
—
Country
New Zealand
State
Wellington
City
Wellington
Source
geonet
Coordinates
-40.96135, 176.33191
Temperature
15.2°C

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 39.7 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 39.7 km
Shallow
39.7 km
39.7 km — shallower than the regional average (64.1 km)
Regional average: 64.1 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: 198 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'797 m ·Last eruption: 2007 ·New Zealand
  • Tongariro
    Distance: 209 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 1'978 m ·Last eruption: 2012 ·New Zealand
  • Taupo
    Distance: 245 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 760 m ·Last eruption: 260 ·New Zealand
  • Taranaki
    Distance: 267 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'518 m ·Last eruption: 1800 ·New Zealand
  • Okataina
    Distance: 312 km ·Lava dome(s) ·Elevation: 1'111 m ·Last eruption: 1981 ·New Zealand
  • Whakaari/White Island
    Distance: 390 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 294 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·New Zealand

New Zealand

Context for this earthquake

05 Oct 2025 – 05 Oct 2026 · M ≥ 2.0 · 728 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

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