A strong undersea earthquake struck the southern Kermadec islands this morning.
Saturday 12th October, 2013
A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck 87 km north-north-east of L’Esperance Rock in the Kermadec Islands at 10:25 this morning, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The quake, located 871 km north-east of Whangarei, 903 km north-north-east of Whakatane, was 147 km deep.
The USGS points out that, during the U.S. government shutdown, the accuracy of some of its data may be impaired.
Geoscience Australia has its website down for maintenance and has been unable to report the event.
The earthquake left a strong trace on GeoNet’s seismic drum network.
GeoNet’s automated earthquake location application initially reported three earthquakes for this event, one centred off Te Araroa, another near Wairoa and another near the Wairarapa coast. However, analysis by a seismologist twenty minutes after the quake revised the epicentre to 910 km north-east of Whakatane at a depth of 33 km with a magnitude of 6.3.
The earthquake was felt from Bay of Plenty to Wellington according to reports filed with GeoNet.
[Compiled from data provided by the U.S. Geological Survey and its contributing agencies; and the GeoNet project and its sponsors EQC, GNS Science and FRST.]