M5.5 Earthquake south of New Zealand — May 17, 2022
2022-05-17 01:44:22 UTC (2022-05-17) · approx. 1:44 PM UTC+12 local
Maximum shaking intensity MMI 4.1 (moderate).
On May 17, 2022 at 01:44 UTC, a magnitude 5.5 shallow crustal earthquake struck south of New Zealand, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates -56.4633°, 177.7725°. The USGS PAGER system issued a green alert level for this event, indicating no significant casualties or damage expected. This earthquake was detected by 63 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 465, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.5 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 3 kilotons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 3.8 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
The epicenter is located in New Zealand, a region characterized by the Hikurangi subduction zone in the North Island and the Alpine Fault in the South Island. The nearest mapped fault system is the Alpine Fault. View all earthquakes in New Zealand.
Learn more: Magnitude scale · Aftershock sequences
ShakeMap — predicted shaking intensity
Modeled ground-motion intensity contoured on the Modified Mercalli scale (MMI). Computed by the USGS from the moment-tensor solution and regional ground-motion prediction equations.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey ShakeMap. View interactive ShakeMap on USGS
Earthquake Details
177.7725°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.5 earthquake south of New Zealand?
The magnitude 5.5 earthquake that struck south of New Zealand on May 17, 2022 at 01:44 UTC had a depth of 10.0 km. For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at -56.4633°, 177.7725°, which is south of New Zealand. View all earthquakes in New Zealand.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.5 earthquakes can continue for days to weeks and gradually diminish over time.
Has New Zealand had earthquakes this big before?
The largest recorded earthquake in New Zealand was the M8.2 Wairarapa earthquake of January 23, 1855. Today's magnitude 5.5 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000hlnb). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2022, May 17, 2022). M5.5 Earthquake south of New Zealand — May 17, 2022. Retrieved July 24, 2022 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000hlnb/