Reviewed by USGSNew Zealand32y ago
M6.8 earthquake 56 km NW of Oxford, New Zealand
Saturday, June 18, 1994, 03:25:15 UTC · 42.963°S, 171.658°E
A magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck 56 km NW of Oxford, New Zealand on Saturday, June 18, 1994, 03:25:15 UTC, at a depth of 13.6 km (shallow). It is the strongest earthquake within 300 km since an M7.1 on May 23, 1968.
- Magnitude
- 6.8
- Strong · mw
- Depth
- 14 km
- Shallow
- Felt reports
- 0
- Did You Feel It?
- Est. shaking
- VII
- Very strong (ShakeMap)
- PAGER alert
- None
- Not issued
- Tsunami
- No flag
- USGS feed
Outlined circle: this earthquakeDashed circle: 100 km aftershock search areaColoured lines: estimated shaking intensity (USGS ShakeMap)
In context
How big was it, and why here?
Energy released
239 kilotons of TNT
That is about 16 times the Hiroshima bomb. It released about 501 times the energy of a magnitude 5.0.
Tectonic setting
34 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
14 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 100 km
USGS lists 4 M2.5+ earthquakes within 100 km in the following 30 days; the largest was M6.0 on June 19, 1994. Most nearby activity right after a large earthquake is aftershocks, which usually become less frequent over days and weeks.
Regional history
Past M5+ earthquakes within 300 km
USGS lists 41 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 · 166 km NE of this epicenter
- 7.138 km E of Westport, New ZealandMay 23, 1968 · 141 km N of this epicenter
- 7.030 km NW of Amberley, New ZealandMarch 9, 1929 · 64 km E of this epicenter
- 6.535 km NNW of Methven, New ZealandJune 26, 1946 · 47 km S of this epicenter
- 6.558 km SW of Wakefield, New ZealandJune 22, 1929 · 150 km NE of this epicenter
- 6.471 km NNE of Amberley, New ZealandMay 22, 1948 · 120 km E of this epicenter
- 6.386 km NNE of Amberley, New ZealandDecember 25, 1922 · 138 km NE of this epicenter
- 6.351 km SSW of Wakefield, New ZealandJune 22, 1929 · 157 km NE 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 · 143 km away
17 deathsModerate damage ($1–5M)tsunami
- 1968M7.1
South Island: Nw Coast
23 May 1968 · 143 km away
3 deaths$3 million damage
- 1848M6.0
Awatere River, Marlborough
18 Oct 1848 · 240 km away
3 deathstsunami
- 1848M7.9
N.
15 Oct 1848 · 298 km away
Limited damage (under $1M)tsunami
- 1913M6.8
Tasman Sea
22 Feb 1913 · 130 km away · intensity VIII
Limited damage (under $1M)tsunami
- 1994M6.8
South Island: Christchurch
18 Jun 1994 · 0 km away · intensity VI
Limited damage (under $1M)
NOAA NCEI Global Significant Earthquake Database. Historical figures are estimates; older records are incomplete.