A strong, shallow earthquake struck the southern Kermadec Islands this morning, New Zealand time.
Friday 13th February 2009
The magnitude 6.1 quake, which struck at 7:54 a.m., was located 70 km east of L’Esperance Rock, 230 km south of Raoul Island at a depth of 35 km, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The epicentre was 900 km north-east of Auckland. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre did not issue a bulletin for the event.
Geoscience Australia report the quake as magnitude 5.9 at the shallower depth of 20 km. They estimate that damage would occurred within 33 km of the epicentre, and the quake would have been felt up to 415 km away.
A magnitude 5.4 earthquake struck 95 km north-east of L’Esperance Rock (175 km south of Raoul Island) this afternoon. The 3:18 p.m. quake was 59 km deep.
[Compiled from data supplied by the U.S. Geological Survey and Geoscience Australia and their contributing agencies.]