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New Zealand · Bay of Plenty

M4.0 Earthquake near Whakatāne District, Bay of Plenty (New Zealand)

UTC time: 2026-10-03 15:28:35 UTC Local time: —
Earthquake newsQuakeMap24
Archive record · original publication time was not recorded

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

Magnitude
M4.0
Depth
5.0 km
Source
EMSC

Bay of Plenty · Whakatāne District

Country overview

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About this earthquake

A magnitude M4.0 earthquake was recorded near Whakatāne District, Bay of Plenty (New Zealand) on October 3, 2026 at 15:28 UTC. The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 5 km, increasing how strongly it was felt. Earthquakes of this magnitude are clearly felt; minor damage to vulnerable buildings is possible.

The data is provided by EMSC and cross-checked across seismological networks. New Zealand: over the past 24 hours, QuakeMap24 logged 3 earthquakes, the strongest at M4.0.

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 5 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 5 km
Shallow
5 km
5 km — shallower than the regional average (70.1 km)
Regional average: 70.1 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

  • Okataina
    Distance: 62 km ·Lava dome(s) ·Elevation: 1'111 m ·Last eruption: 1981 ·New Zealand
  • Taupo
    Distance: 75 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 760 m ·Last eruption: 260 ·New Zealand
  • Tongariro
    Distance: 111 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 1'978 m ·Last eruption: 2012 ·New Zealand
  • Ruapehu
    Distance: 122 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'797 m ·Last eruption: 2007 ·New Zealand
  • Whakaari/White Island
    Distance: 134 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 294 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·New Zealand
  • Tuhua/Mayor Island
    Distance: 162 km ·Shield ·Elevation: 355 m ·Last eruption: -5055 ·New Zealand

Bay of Plenty

Context for this earthquake

04 Oct 2025 – 04 Oct 2026 · M ≥ 3.0 · 115 Catalogue entries

Of 114 other entries for this area and period, 10 have a higher stored magnitude. Different magnitude types and reports not yet merged limit the comparison.

Open seismic profile

Historic earthquake map · New Zealand

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Country statistics · New Zealand

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