Very strong and deep magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck off the coast of North Island, New Zealand
Image credit: TW
GeoNet is reporting very strong and deep earthquake with magnitude 7.0 off the coast of North Island, New Zealand – July 3, 2012 at 10:36 UTC. Luckily the depth was at 230 km (142 miles). Epicenter was located 60 km (37 miles) SSW of Opunake, New Zealand (40.00°S, 173.75°E).
Earthquake was widely felt from Bay of Plenty to Canterbury. USGS and EMSC are reporting a magnitude 6.2 earthquake and depth of 230 km.
There quake has not created a tsunami threat, according to the Wellington Region Emergency Management Office.
The epicenter was closest to Hawera and Opunake on the North Island, but this is is less important for deep earthquakes than for shallow earthquakes. The energy is arriving at the surface in a much wider area.
Because of the depth it will probably make it harmless for damage and injuries.
Be on alert for aftershocks.
Seismic hazard map
I'm a dedicated researcher, journalist, and editor at The Watchers. With over 20 years of experience in the media industry, I specialize in hard science news, focusing on extreme weather, seismic and volcanic activity, space weather, and astronomy, including near-Earth objects and planetary defense strategies. You can reach me at teo /at/ watchers.news.
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