A moderately strong, deep earthquake struck the southern Kermadec Islands this morning.
Thursday 19th March 2009
A magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck 235 km south-west of L’Esperance Rock at 5:24 this morning, New Zealand time. The quake, which was 235 km deep, was located 600 km north-east of Auckland according to preliminary analysis.
The quake follows a series of events throughout the Kermadec Islands and further south, closer to the Bay of Plenty, during the past week.
On Friday March 13th, two earthquakes of magnitude 4.9 struck the Kermadec Islands, one hour apart. The first event, at 3:31 p.m. was located 55 km east of Raoul Island. A second quake, 50 km deep, struck 300 km north-north-east of Raoul Island at 4:34 p.m.
At 6:38 on the morning of Sunday March 15th, a magnitude 5.5 quake, 170 km deep, struck 100 km north of White Island (185 km north of Gisborne). This quake was felt in Poverty Bay and the Bay of Plenty.
On Monday 16th a magnitude 5.0 quake struck 110 km south of Raoul Island. The 7:08 a.m. event was located 170 km north-east of L’Esperance Rock at a depth of 18 km.
[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.]