A strong undersea earthquake struck south of the Kermadec island chain this evening.
Thursday, 15th September 2011
A magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck 480 km north-east of Gisborne at 7:53 this evening, New Zealand time. The 56 km-deep quake was centred 380 km north-east of Te Araroa, 400 km north-east of Ruatoria, according to GeoNet.
The U.S. Geological Survey also reports the earthquake as magnitude 6.0 but at a depth of 13 km. Their initial analysis centred the quake 512 km north-east of Gisborne, 453 km south-south-east of L’Esperance Rock in the Kermadecs.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre has not issued a bulletin for this event.
[click for larger image] The earthquake showed a definite trace on GeoNet’s national seismograph network.
[click for larger image] GeoNet’s instruments showed MM4 shaking at several locations in the Bay of Plenty, Gisborne and Hawke’s Bay, where the earthquake could have been felt indoors with crockery rattling. Few reports have been filed from these areas by the public at the time of publishing this item.
This evening’s earthquake was centred in the Pacific Plate to the east of a magnitude 5.6 earthquake which struck at 1:37 this morning. This event, at 41 km deep, was centred 480 km north-east of Gisborne (410 km south of L’Esperance Rock).
On September 6th, a magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck nearby. This quake was centred 520 km north-north-east of Gisborne (330 km south-south-west of L’Esperance Rock) at a depth of 10 km.
[Compiled from data provided by the GeoNet project and its sponsors EQC, GNS Science and FRST; and the US Geological Survey and its contributing agencies.]