New Zealand straddles the active collision boundary between the Australian and Pacific plates, serving as the southwestern anchor of the Pacific Ring of Fire. To the northeast, the plate boundary extends directly into the Kermadec Trench and Tonga Arc; through the North Island, the Pacific Plate subducts at the Hikurangi Trench; and across the South Island, the plates grind along the 800 km Alpine Fault and Puysegur Trench.
Real-time USGS seismic table displaying the 10 most recent earthquakes and latest earthquakes recorded today with verified moment magnitude (Mw), epicenter location, and focal depth.
| Time (UTC) | Magnitude | Location & Epicenter | Depth (km) |
|---|---|---|---|
| M 4.2 | M4.2 Earthquake — 38 km NE of Castlepoint, New Zealand | 23.6 km | |
| M 4.5 | M4.5 Earthquake — Kermadec Islands, New Zealand | 10.0 km | |
| M 4.3 | M4.3 Earthquake — 83 km N of Opotiki, New Zealand | 133.4 km | |
| M 5.3 | M5.3 Earthquake — 174 km NW of Port-Olry, Vanuatu | 10.0 km | |
| M 5.8 | M5.8 Earthquake — 182 km NW of Port-Olry, Vanuatu | 10.0 km | |
| M 4.8 | M4.8 Earthquake — 219 km WNW of Port-Olry, Vanuatu | 10.0 km | |
| M 5.1 | M5.1 Earthquake — 217 km NW of Port-Olry, Vanuatu | 10.0 km | |
| M 5.0 | M5.0 Earthquake — 161 km NW of Port-Olry, Vanuatu | 10.0 km | |
| M 5.3 | M5.3 Earthquake — 216 km W of Sola, Vanuatu | 10.0 km | |
| M 5.8 | M5.8 Earthquake — 203 km NW of Port-Olry, Vanuatu | 10.0 km | |
| M 5.7 | M5.7 Earthquake — 205 km NW of Port-Olry, Vanuatu | 10.0 km | |
| M 4.9 | M4.9 Earthquake — 186 km WNW of Port-Olry, Vanuatu | 10.0 km | |
| M 5.2 | M5.2 Earthquake — 202 km NW of Port-Olry, Vanuatu | 10.0 km |
You can check real-time earthquake activity in New Zealand on this page. Our system streams live USGS telemetry updated every 60 seconds showing all recent seismic events with magnitude, depth, and epicenter coordinates.
New Zealand experiences varying levels of seismic activity depending on its tectonic setting. You can view the complete 1-year historical archive and 24-hour counts on this live monitoring page.
New Zealand straddles the active collision boundary between the Australian and Pacific plates, serving as the southwestern anchor of the Pacific Ring of Fire. To the northeast, the plate boundary extends directly into the Kermadec Trench and Tonga Arc; through the North Island, the Pacific Plate subducts at the Hikurangi Trench; and across the South Island, the plates grind along the 800 km Alpine Fault and Puysegur Trench.