On Saturday, a seismic event with a magnitude of 6.9 jolted the Kermadec Islands region in New Zealand, as reported by the United States Geological Survey (USGS). Initially, the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre approximated the quake’s magnitude at 6.6 with a depth of 183 km, in contrast to the USGS’s recording at 152 km.
While the earthquake was perceptible to residents in the vicinity, there have been no immediate accounts of damage or casualties. The U.S. Tsunami Warning System affirmed the absence of a tsunami warning in the aftermath of the seismic activity.
![Magnitude earthquake](https://cdnuploads.aa.com.tr/uploads/Contents/2023/10/23/thumbs_b_c_c3d3d6b73472bef8825c74e395436d8d.jpg?v=135858)
Photo: 123RF
A magnitude 6.9 earthquake was recorded in the Kermadec Islands region at 7.41pm on Saturday.
The European Mediterranean Seismological Centre said the quake was at a depth of 150km.
The US Tsunami Warning System said there was no tsunami warning after the quake.
Prelim M6.9 earthquake has occurred in the Kermadec Islands, N of New Zealand. This earthquake was reported felt by over 500 people along the E.coast of the N.Island and the Wellington region. If you felt it, please report it below to Geonet. https://t.co/2if8hTuMI5 pic.twitter.com/9A2xgAXUyD
— james dyson (@jamesdyson22) March 4, 2023
Over 500 people have reported feeling the quake, with most along the east coast of the North Island.
GeoNet described the shaking as “unnoticeable”, and the vast majority of felt reports said it was ‘light’ or ‘weak’.
No tsunami warning has been issued after the quake, both the US Tsunami Warning System and Joint Australian Tsunami Warning Centre said.
Situated northeast of New Zealand’s North Island, the Kermadec Islands form a secluded and sparsely populated cluster. This region is predisposed to seismic events due to its location on the Pacific Ring of Fire, an expanse notorious for frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
In recent times, New Zealand has encountered a series of potent earthquakes, notably a magnitude 7.8 quake that struck the South Island in November 2016, resulting in two fatalities and extensive damage.
Source:
https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/us7000jh99/executive
https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/magnitude-66-earthquake-strikes-kermadec-islands-new-zealand-emsc-2023-03-04/