Reviewed by USGSNew Zealand32y ago
M5.4 earthquake 47 km N of Methven, New Zealand
Tuesday, June 21, 1994, 02:18:23 UTC · 43.208°S, 171.594°E
A magnitude 5.4 earthquake struck 47 km N of Methven, New Zealand on Tuesday, June 21, 1994, 02:18:23 UTC, at a depth of 10.0 km (shallow). It is the strongest earthquake within 300 km since an M6.0 on June 19, 1994.
- Magnitude
- 5.4
- Moderate · mw
- Depth
- 10 km
- Shallow
- Felt reports
- 0
- Did You Feel It?
- Est. shaking
- —
- No ShakeMap
- PAGER alert
- None
- Not issued
- Tsunami
- No flag
- USGS feed
Outlined circle: this earthquakeDashed circle: 75 km aftershock search area
In context
How big was it, and why here?
Energy released
2 kilotons of TNT
That is about 1/8 of the Hiroshima bomb. It released about 4 times the energy of a magnitude 5.0.
Tectonic setting
55 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
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 lists 1 M2.5+ earthquake within 75 km in the following 30 days; the largest was M4.5 on June 21, 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 40 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 · 188 km NE of this epicenter
- 7.138 km E of Westport, New ZealandMay 23, 1968 · 169 km N of this epicenter
- 7.030 km NW of Amberley, New ZealandMarch 9, 1929 · 73 km E of this epicenter
- 6.856 km NW of Oxford, New ZealandJune 18, 1994 · 28 km N of this epicenter
- 6.535 km NNW of Methven, New ZealandJune 26, 1946 · 20 km SW of this epicenter
- 6.558 km SW of Wakefield, New ZealandJune 22, 1929 · 176 km NE of this epicenter
- 6.471 km NNE of Amberley, New ZealandMay 22, 1948 · 138 km NE of this epicenter
- 6.386 km NNE of Amberley, New ZealandDecember 25, 1922 · 156 km NE of this epicenter
History · NOAA
Deadliest earthquakes in this area
NOAA’s significant-earthquake database lists 7 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 · 171 km away
17 deathsModerate damage ($1–5M)tsunami
- 1968M7.1
South Island: Nw Coast
23 May 1968 · 171 km away
3 deaths$3 million damage
- 1848M6.0
Awatere River, Marlborough
18 Oct 1848 · 261 km away
3 deathstsunami
- 1913M6.8
Tasman Sea
22 Feb 1913 · 157 km away · intensity VIII
Limited damage (under $1M)tsunami
- 1994M6.8
South Island: Christchurch
18 Jun 1994 · 28 km away · intensity VI
Limited damage (under $1M)
- 1922M6.3
Se. New Zealand
25 Dec 1922 · 116 km away · intensity VII
tsunami
NOAA NCEI Global Significant Earthquake Database. Historical figures are estimates; older records are incomplete.