Fiordland Quakes Continue

Earthquake activity has continued at two locations in Fiordland today.

Saturday 23rd January 2010

Shallow earthquake activity at two separate locations in Fiordland today is a continuation of activity in the region.

A pair of quakes struck 70 to 80 km west of Te Anau at 9:36 and 9:38 this morning. The quakes with magnitudes of 4.7 and 4.1 were both on-shore and 12 km deep.

A magnitude 4.1 earthquake located on-shore near the coast 70 km north-east of Milford Sound (60 km south-west of Haast) at 12:39 p.m. today was 5 km deep. Earlier this month, quakes of magnitude 3.7 and 4.6 struck the same location on the 12th and 15th. Both quakes were also shallow, at depths of 5 km and 3 km respectively.

Activity in the Fiordland tectonic area increased following the magnitude 7.6 Dusky Sound earthquake last July. However, these areas near Milford Sound and Te Anau were relatively quiet during November and December of last year.

[Compiled from data provided by the GeoNet project and its sponsors EQC, GNS Science and FRST.]

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