M3.0 Earthquake 7 km ESE of Christchurch, New Zealand — May 23, 2021
2021-05-23 23:49:03 UTC (2021-05-23) · approx. 11:49 AM UTC+12 local
Felt by 29 people across nearby locations.
On May 23, 2021 at 23:49 UTC, a magnitude 3.0 shallow crustal earthquake struck 7 km ESE of Christchurch, New Zealand, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates -43.5624°, 172.7111°.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 3.0 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 477 kg of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 71 m — 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
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 29 citizen responses to the USGS Did You Feel It? system. Each colored zone represents the average MMI from reports in that area.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey Did You Feel It?. View on USGS · submit your own report
Earthquake Details
172.7111°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 3.0 earthquake near Christchurch, New Zealand?
The magnitude 3.0 earthquake that struck 7 km ESE of Christchurch, New Zealand on May 23, 2021 at 23:49 UTC had a depth of 10.0 km. For context, this was a minor earthquake typically detected only by instruments.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at -43.5624°, 172.7111°, which is 7 km ESE of Christchurch, New Zealand. View all earthquakes in New Zealand.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 3.0 earthquakes can continue for several days 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 3.0 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000e5mb). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2021, May 23, 2021). M3.0 Earthquake 7 km ESE of Christchurch, New Zealand — May 23, 2021. Retrieved July 31, 2021 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000e5mb/