M4.2 Earthquake near off the west coast of the South Island of New Zealand — December 28, 2023
2023-12-28 18:50:25 UTC (2023-12-28) · approx. 5:50 AM UTC+11 local
On December 28, 2023 at 18:50 UTC, a magnitude 4.2 shallow crustal earthquake struck near off the west coast of the South Island of New Zealand, at a depth of 8.6 km and coordinates -48.9846°, 164.5202°.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.2 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 30 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 476 m — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
Earthquake Details
164.5202°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.2 earthquake near off the west coast of the South Island of New Zealand?
The magnitude 4.2 earthquake that struck near off the west coast of the South Island of New Zealand on December 28, 2023 at 18:50 UTC had a depth of 8.6 km. For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.2 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.
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Understanding This Data
Magnitude 4.2 earthquakes are often felt but rarely cause damage.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000m2i6). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2023, December 28, 2023). M4.2 Earthquake near off the west coast of the South Island of New Zealand — December 28, 2023. Retrieved March 2, 2024 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000m2i6/