A strong earthquake struck the Kermadec Islands this evening.
The magnitude 7.0 earthquake, which struck at 7:24 p.m. New Zealand Daylight Time on Tuesday the 9th of December 2008, was located 215 km south-south-east of Raoul Island (185 km east-north-east of L’Esperance Rock, 990 km north-east of Auckland) at a depth of 35 km; according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
In a bulletin issued at 7:34 p.m. New Zealand time, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre (PTWC) advised that a widespread tsunami threat did not exist, based on historical data. The PTWC estimated the quake at magnitude 6.8, shallower than 100 km.
Geoscience Australia estimated the quake at magnitude 6.6 at a depth of 28 km. Based on this data they calculate that the quake would have caused damage within 70 km of the epicentre, and would have been felt up to 800 km away.
This quake follows a magnitude 5.1 quake located 75 km south of Raoul Island at a depth of 55km on Monday morning at 4:50 a.m., and a magnitude 4.9 event located 195 km north-east of Raoul Island at a depth of 35 km on Saturday December 6th at 7:22 p.m.
A shallow magnitude seven earthquake was recorded near Raoul Island at 4:20 a.m. on the 30th of September 2008. The area has experienced magnitude 6 events during October and November, and several 5th magnitude quakes during the same period.
[Compiled from data supplied by the U.S. Geological Survey and Geoscience Australia and their contributing agencies; and the U.S. National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration’s Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre.]
Check out what happened a year ago – a bit to the north, almost to the hour!
😉
Yes, awkward timing. The event you refer to was a magnitude 7.8, five times deeper, twelve months ago (minus about an hour) in the subduction zone between the Kermadecs and Fiji. That event was felt in N.Z. but it was about 30 times stronger than this evening’s event.
P.S. Nice to know that you are still checking this website (and keeping me on my toes!)