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New Zealand · Taranaki

M3.9 Earthquake near South Taranaki District, Taranaki (New Zealand)

UTC time: 2026-05-15 21:19:02 UTC Local time: —
Magnitude
M3.9
Depth
424.8 km
Source
EMSC

Taranaki · South Taranaki District

Country overview

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About this earthquake

A magnitude M3.9 earthquake was recorded near South Taranaki District, Taranaki (New Zealand) on May 15, 2026 at 21:19 UTC. At roughly 425 km, the focus was very deep, so surface shaking tends to be weaker. Shaking of this size is frequently noticed but usually harmless.

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

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 424.8 km (Deep) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 424.8 km
Deep
424.8 km
424.8 km — deeper than the regional average (70.9 km)
Regional average: 70.9 km
Why depth matters

Deep quakes are felt over very large areas but rarely cause surface damage.

Depth classes per USGS

Volcanoes nearby

  • Taranaki
    Distance: 24 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'518 m ·Last eruption: 1800 ·New Zealand
  • Ruapehu
    Distance: 138 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'797 m ·Last eruption: 2007 ·New Zealand
  • Tongariro
    Distance: 146 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 1'978 m ·Last eruption: 2012 ·New Zealand
  • Taupo
    Distance: 183 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 760 m ·Last eruption: 260 ·New Zealand
  • Okataina
    Distance: 265 km ·Lava dome(s) ·Elevation: 1'111 m ·Last eruption: 1981 ·New Zealand
  • Auckland Volcanic Field
    Distance: 300 km ·Volcanic field ·Elevation: 260 m ·Last eruption: 1446 ·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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Country statistics · New Zealand

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View earthquake KPIs, strongest and latest events, and averages for this country.

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