M5.3 Earthquake south of the Kermadec Islands — April 16, 2025
2025-04-16 17:35:24 UTC (2025-04-16) · approx. 5:35 AM UTC-12 local
On April 16, 2025 at 17:35 UTC, a magnitude 5.3 shallow crustal earthquake struck south of the Kermadec Islands, at a depth of 48.9 km and coordinates -33.8740°, -179.5991°. This earthquake was detected by 108 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 432, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.3 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 1 kilotons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 2.7 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
Earthquake Details
-179.5991°E
Technical Information
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Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.3 earthquake south of the Kermadec Islands?
The magnitude 5.3 earthquake that struck south of the Kermadec Islands on April 16, 2025 at 17:35 UTC had a depth of 48.9 km. For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at -33.8740°, -179.5991°, which is south of the Kermadec Islands.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.3 earthquakes can continue for days to weeks and gradually diminish over time.
Actions
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000q6kl). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2025, April 16, 2025). M5.3 Earthquake south of the Kermadec Islands — April 16, 2025. Retrieved June 27, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000q6kl/