A moderately strong, shallow earthquake struck off the Fiordland coast late this afternoon.
Thursday 25th February 2010
A magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck off-shore 170 km west of Invercargill, 140 km south-west of Te Anau at 5:38 p.m. GeoNet reports that the 12 km deep quake was felt in Fiordland, Southland and Otago according to early reports.
The U.S. Geological Survey has reported the quake as magnitude 4.8 at a depth of 35 km.
An initial report from Geoscience Australia shows the quake as magnitude 5.0 and much deeper at 60 km. They have positioned the quake onshore in southern Fiordland and estimate that it would have been felt up to 170 km from the epicentre.
Calculations by GeoNet indicate that the quake could have caused contents damage in the southernmost parts of the Fiordland National Park. Reports from the public by 7 p.m. indicate maximum shaking of MM4 (walls creak and glassware, crockery, doors or windows rattle) in Manapouri, Te Anau, Kingston, Tuatapere and Otautau.
[Compiled from data provided by the GeoNet project and its sponsors EQC, GNS Science and FRST; the US Geological Survey and its contributing agencies, and Geoscience Australia.]
Update: The tsunami gauge at Puysegur stopped reporting at the time of the quake. The gauge is in the zone where GeoNet estimates that MM6 shaking might have occurred, indicating that it may have been damaged by the shaking or a power failure has taken the comms link down.
There is no indication that a tsunami wave was generated.