M4.2 Earthquake 12 km NW of Kawerau, New Zealand — March 17, 2023
2023-03-17 20:54:10 UTC (2023-03-17) · approx. 8:54 AM UTC+12 local
On March 17, 2023 at 20:54 UTC, a magnitude 4.2 shallow crustal earthquake struck 12 km NW of Kawerau, New Zealand, at a depth of 6.1 km and coordinates -38.0374°, 176.5866°.
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.
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 2 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
176.5866°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.2 earthquake near Kawerau, New Zealand?
The magnitude 4.2 earthquake that struck 12 km NW of Kawerau, New Zealand on March 17, 2023 at 20:54 UTC had a depth of 6.1 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: us7000jl0v). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2023, March 17, 2023). M4.2 Earthquake 12 km NW of Kawerau, New Zealand — March 17, 2023. Retrieved May 20, 2023 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000jl0v/