Magnitude
M3.2
- Depth
- 5.0 km
- Source
- EMSC
Canterbury · Kaikōura District
Country overviewNew Zealand · Canterbury
M3.2 Earthquake near Kaikōura District, Canterbury (New Zealand)
Map
About this earthquake
On May 31, 2026 at 04:41 UTC, a magnitude M3.2 earthquake occurred near Kaikōura District, Canterbury (New Zealand). With a focal depth of about 5 km, this was a shallow earthquake, whose shaking is usually felt more strongly at the surface. 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.
Details
ID
fee1cbbbe51b476f0cf41f89b864005272dee3e2
Magnitude
M3.2
Depth
5.0 km
UTC time
2026-05-31 04:41:54 UTC
Local time
—
Country
State
City
County
Source
emsc
Coordinates
-42.21940,
173.57050
Temperature
16.6°C
Depth profile
Shallow
5 km
5 km — shallower than the regional average (70.9 km)
Regional average: 70.9 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
New Zealand
Context for this earthquake
05 Oct 2025 – 05 Oct 2026 · M ≥ 3.0 · 725 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 profileHistoric earthquake map · New Zealand
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Country statistics · New Zealand
View earthquake KPIs, strongest and latest events, and averages for this country.
Stats (last 24h)
Global (24h)
611
Country (24h)
New Zealand
5
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