Reviewed by USGSNew Zealand59y ago
M5.8 earthquake 38 km ESE of Westport, New Zealand
Friday, May 24, 1968, 20:57:26 UTC · 41.939°S, 171.999°E
A magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck 38 km ESE of Westport, New Zealand on Friday, May 24, 1968, 20:57:26 UTC, at a depth of 15.0 km (shallow). It is the strongest earthquake within 300 km since an M7.1 on May 23, 1968.
- Magnitude
- 5.8
- Moderate · mw
- Depth
- 15 km
- Shallow
- Felt reports
- 0
- Did You Feel It?
- Est. shaking
- VI
- Strong (ShakeMap)
- PAGER alert
- None
- Not issued
- Tsunami
- No flag
- USGS feed
Outlined circle: this earthquakeColoured lines: estimated shaking intensity (USGS ShakeMap)
In context
How big was it, and why here?
Energy released
6 kilotons of TNT
That is about 1/2 of the Hiroshima bomb. It released about 13 times the energy of a magnitude 5.0.
Tectonic setting
70 km
from the nearest mapped plate boundary, between the Australian and Pacific plates. Earthquakes cluster along boundaries like this one, where plates collide, pull apart or slide past each other.
Depth: shallow
15 km
Shallow earthquakes (under 70 km) produce the strongest surface shaking for their size, so they are the ones most likely to cause damage near the epicenter.
Did You Feel It?
Where it was felt
No “Did You Feel It?” reports have been published for this event yet. If you felt it, you can add your report on the USGS website.
I felt it — report to USGS ↗USGS PAGER estimate
Who was exposed to shaking
USGS publishes PAGER impact estimates for significant earthquakes, usually within an hour. No PAGER estimate is available for this event.
After the main event
Aftershocks within 75 km
USGS has not published any M2.5+ earthquake within 75 km in the 30 days after this event.
Regional history
Past M5+ earthquakes within 300 km
USGS lists 17 M5.0+ earthquakes within 300 km before this one (catalog from 1900; older records are less complete). The strongest:
- 7.368 km S of Wakefield, New ZealandJune 16, 1929 · 100 km E of this epicenter
- 7.138 km E of Westport, New ZealandMay 23, 1968 · 24 km N of this epicenter
- 7.030 km NW of Amberley, New ZealandMarch 9, 1929 · 122 km S of this epicenter
- 6.535 km NNW of Methven, New ZealandJune 26, 1946 · 164 km S of this epicenter
- 6.558 km SW of Wakefield, New ZealandJune 22, 1929 · 53 km E of this epicenter
- 6.471 km NNE of Amberley, New ZealandMay 22, 1948 · 108 km SE of this epicenter
- 6.386 km NNE of Amberley, New ZealandDecember 25, 1922 · 114 km SE of this epicenter
- 6.351 km SSW of Wakefield, New ZealandJune 22, 1929 · 61 km E of this epicenter
History · NOAA
Deadliest earthquakes in this area
NOAA’s significant-earthquake database lists 8 damaging, deadly or tsunami-generating earthquakes within 300 km of this epicenter since 1700, which together caused about 23 recorded deaths. The most severe:
- 1929M7.5
South Island
16 Jun 1929 · 30 km away
17 deathsModerate damage ($1–5M)tsunami
- 1968M7.1
South Island: Nw Coast
23 May 1968 · 27 km away
3 deaths$3 million damage
- 1848M6.0
Awatere River, Marlborough
18 Oct 1848 · 169 km away
3 deathstsunami
- 1855M8.0
Wellington,Waiouru,Wanganui,Otaki
23 Jan 1855 · 261 km away
Severe damage ($5–24M)tsunami
- 1848M7.9
N.
15 Oct 1848 · 220 km away
Limited damage (under $1M)tsunami
- 1913M6.8
Tasman Sea
22 Feb 1913 · 44 km away · intensity VIII
Limited damage (under $1M)tsunami
NOAA NCEI Global Significant Earthquake Database. Historical figures are estimates; older records are incomplete.