M5.1 earthquake 67 km NNW of Arthurs Point, New Zealand

Wednesday, September 2, 2026, 06:13:33 UTC · 44.438°S, 168.279°E

A magnitude 5.1 earthquake struck 67 km NNW of Arthurs Point, New Zealand on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, 06:13:33 UTC, at a depth of 10.0 km (shallow). USGS received 23 “Did You Feel It?” reports, with a maximum reported intensity of IV (light). The USGS PAGER alert is green: low likelihood of casualties and damage. It is the strongest earthquake within 300 km since an M5.9 on July 16, 2026.

Magnitude: 5.1; Moderate · mwr
Depth: 10 km; Shallow
Felt reports: 23; Max intensity IV
Est. shaking: VI; Strong (ShakeMap)
PAGER alert: Green; Impact estimate
Tsunami: No flag; USGS feed

Outlined circle: this earthquakeDashed circle: 75 km aftershock search areaColoured lines: estimated shaking intensity (USGS ShakeMap)

In context

How big was it, and why here?

Energy released

674 tons of TNT

That is about 1/22 of the Hiroshima bomb. It released about 1 times the energy of a magnitude 5.0.

Tectonic setting

18 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

10 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

Reports sent by people to USGS, grouped by place (most reports first). Intensity uses the Modified Mercalli scale (I–X): what people felt, not the magnitude.

Place	Intensity	Reports	Distance
Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand	II · Weak	7	236 km
Queenstown, Otago, New Zealand	III · Weak	4	73 km
Cromwell, Otago, New Zealand	III · Weak	2	101 km
Oamaru, Canterbury, New Zealand	III · Weak	2	225 km
Invercargill, Southland, New Zealand	II · Weak	2	219 km
Wanaka, Otago, New Zealand	IV · Light	1	75 km
Te Anau, Southland, New Zealand	III · Weak	1	118 km
Alexandra, Otago, New Zealand	III · Weak	1	125 km
Gore, Southland, New Zealand	II · Weak	1	190 km
Palmerston, Otago, New Zealand	II · Weak	1	224 km
Outram, Otago, New Zealand	II · Weak	1	221 km

I felt it — report to USGS ↗

USGS PAGER estimate

Who was exposed to shaking

Modelled from the ShakeMap and population data. Alert level green: low likelihood of casualties and damage.

IV · Light shaking: 7,100 people
III · Weak shaking: 57,000 people

Estimated shaking in nearby towns

Kelvin PeninsulaPopulation 2,000IV · Light
FranktonPopulation 2,000III · Weak
Lake HaweaPopulation 1,200III · Weak
Albert TownPopulation 2,000III · Weak
Arthurs PointPopulation 1,100III · Weak
WanakaPopulation 8,900III · Weak
ArrowtownPopulation 3,000III · Weak
CromwellPopulation 5,400III · Weak

After the main event

Aftershocks within 75 km

USGS lists 4 M2.5+ earthquakes within 75 km since this event; the largest was M5.2 on September 2, 2026. Most nearby activity right after a large earthquake is aftershocks, which usually become less frequent over days and weeks.

Time after the mainshock on a logarithmic scale (first hours stretched), magnitude on the vertical axis. M2.5+ events from USGS.

Regional history

Past M5+ earthquakes within 300 km

USGS lists 108 M5.0+ earthquakes within 300 km before this one (catalog from 1900; older records are less complete). The strongest:

History · NOAA

Deadliest earthquakes in this area

NOAA’s significant-earthquake database lists 4 damaging, deadly or tsunami-generating earthquakes within 300 km of this epicenter since 1700. The most severe:

2009M7.8
Off West Coast Of South Island
15 Jul 2009 · 200 km away
Limited damage (under $1M)tsunami
2003M7.2
Dunedin,Invercargill,Te Anau,Fiordland
21 Aug 2003 · 116 km away
Limited damage (under $1M)tsunami
2007M6.8
South Island: Fiordland
15 Oct 2007 · 67 km away
Limited damage (under $1M)
1826M8.0
Fjordland
1826 · 206 km away

NOAA NCEI Global Significant Earthquake Database. Historical figures are estimates; older records are incomplete.

Nearby trackers