Moderate magnitude 4.4 earthquake at 5 km depth8 Aug 05:16 UTC: First to report: GEONET (NZ) after 2 minutes.8 Aug 05:17: Magnitude recalculated from 4.3 to 4.5.... [show all] ...8 Aug 05:18: Magnitude recalculated from 4.5 to 4.4. Hypocenter depth recalculated from 13.50 to 5.00 km (from 8.4 to 3.1 mi). Epicenter location corrected by 57 km (35 mi) towards SW.8 Aug 05:21: Epicenter location corrected by 3.1 km (1.9 mi) towards NNE.8 Aug 05:21: Now using data updates from EMSCI didn't feel itI felt this quakeEarthquake detailsDate & timeAug 8, 2026 05:13:34 UTC - Local time at epicenterSaturday, Aug 8, 2026, at 05:13 pm (GMT +12)StatusconfirmedMagnitude4.40Depth5 kmEpicenter latitude / longitude35.3595°S / 179.891°ENew ZealandSeismic antipode35.3595°N / 0.109°WAlgeriaShaking intensityV Moderate shaking near epicenterFelt0 reportsPrimary data sourceEMSC (European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre)Nearest volcanoHealy (92 km / 57 mi)Weather at epicenter at time of quakeBroken Clouds 14°C (57 F), humidity: 63%, wind: 6 m/s (13 kts) from SWEstimated seismic energy released2.5 x 1011 joules (69.8 megawatt hours, equivalent to 60 tons of TNT) | equivalent to ONE quake of magnitude 4.4 | about seismic energy16 minutes agoAug 8, 2026 05:13 GMT / Aug 8, 2026 05:13 pm (GMT +12)Lat / Lng: -35.3595 / 179.891: New Zealand: Off E. Coast OF N. Island, N.Z.Source: EMSCOther sources: GEONET (NZ): 4.4 / 5 kmDetail info | You felt it? - Report it!';storedMarkers.push(['quake-23254088',-35.35950,179.89100,'16 minutes ago: Mag. 4.4, New Zealand: Off E. Coast OF N. Island, N.Z.',html,'quakes-6-24.png',25,25,12,12,125]); function mkRep(id,notFelt){var nFelt=notFelt||false;var src="https://www.volcanoesandearthquakes.com/app/earthquake-report.php?quakeId="+id;if(nFelt==true){src+="¬Felt=true";}window.open(src,"","status=0,toolbar=0,location=0,directories=0,menubar=0,resizable=1,scrollbars=1,height=400,width=350");} function locationHashChanged(e){-1!=e.oldURL.indexOf("#popupMap")&&closePopup()} window.onhashchange = locationHashChanged; function comment(e){var t=e.parentNode,a=(t.dataset.id,document.getElementById("commentForm"));"none"==a.style.display?(t.appendChild(a),a.style.display="block"):a.style.display="none"}function sendComment(e){var t=e.parentNode,a=t.parentNode.dataset.id,n=document.getElementById("commentContent"),p=n.value.trim();if(p){var o="id="+a+"&quakeId="+thisQuakeId;o+="&comment="+decodeURIComponent(p),mkRequest("//reports.volcanodiscovery.com/app/eqReportComment.php","post",o,function(e){e.responseText;alert("Thank you for submitting your comment!"),t.style.display="none",n.value=""})}}function flagReport(e){var t=e.parentNode.dataset.id;if(confirm("Report this as inappropriate?")){var a="id="+t+"&quakeId="+thisQuakeId+"&flagAsInappropriate=1";mkRequest("//reports.volcanodiscovery.com/app/eqReportComment.php","post",a,function(t){var a=t.responseText;alert(a),e.style.display="none"})}}function likeReport(e){var t="id="+e.parentNode.dataset.id+"&quakeId="+thisQuakeId+"&like=1";mkRequest("//reports.volcanodiscovery.com/app/eqReportComment.php","post",t,function(t){t.responseText;e.style.opacity=.5})}]]>[smaller] [bigger]Most recent quakes Top 20 past 24 hrs Quakes in New ZealandNearby placesThe closest larger town where the quake might have been felt is Hicks Bay, a town with 1,400 inhabitants in New Zealand, in 287 km (178 mi) distance southwest of the epicenter. People likely experienced very weak shaking there. In the capital of New Zealand, Wellington, 796 km (494 mi) away from the epicenter, the earthquake could not be felt.The following table shows some of the places that might have been affected (or not) by the shaking.DistancePlaceMax. shaking intensity(*)RegionCountry287 km (178 mi)SW of epicenterHicks Bay(pop: 1,390)II: Very weakGisborne District, GisborneNew Zealand313 km (195 mi)SW of epicenterRuatoria(pop: 897)I: Not feltGisborne District, GisborneNew Zealand330 km (205 mi)SW of epicenterTe Kaha(pop: 387)I: Not feltOpotiki District, Bay of PlentyNew Zealand339 km (211 mi)SW of epicenterTokomaru(pop: 954)I: Not feltGisborne District, GisborneNew Zealand375 km (233 mi)SW of epicenterOpotiki(pop: 4,880)I: Not feltBay of PlentyNew Zealand388 km (241 mi)SW of epicenterWhakatane(pop: 18,600)I: Not feltBay of PlentyNew Zealand395 km (246 mi)SW of epicenterTaneatua(pop: 1,500)I: Not feltWhakatane District, Bay of PlentyNew Zealand397 km (246 mi)SW of epicenterMatata(pop: 681)I: Not feltWhakatane District, Bay of PlentyNew Zealand399 km (248 mi)SW of epicenterWaimana(pop: 709)I: Not feltWhakatane District, Bay of PlentyNew Zealand399 km (248 mi)SW of epicenterEdgecumbe(pop: 1,900)I: Not feltWhakatane District, Bay of PlentyNew Zealand408 km (253 mi)SW of epicenterMaketu(pop: 1,410)I: Not feltWestern Bay of Plenty District, Bay of PlentyNew Zealand417 km (259 mi)SW of epicenterKawerau(pop: 7,670)I: Not feltBay of PlentyNew Zealand796 km (494 mi)SW of epicenterWellington(pop: 381,900): Not feltWellingtonNew ZealandNotes:(*) Shaking intensity according to the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale (MMI) and estimated using seismic models.User-reports for this quakeThere are no user reports for this quake yet.If you felt it, be the first to report it!Get the Android appCompare Quake DataData for the same earthquake as reported by different agenciesThe more agencies report about the same quake and post similar data, the more confidence you can have in the data. It takes normally up to a few hours until earthquake parameters are calculated with near-optimum precision.MagDepthTime GMT2026-08-8EpicenterAgency4.45 km3.1 mi05:13:34.87OFF E. COAST OF N. ISLAND, N.Z.EMSC (European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre)4.45 km3.1 mi05:13:34New Zealand0 km (0 mi) epicenter difference with EMSCGEONET (NZ) (Earthquake Commission and Geological Survey, New Zealand)Aftershocks for this quakeNo aftershocks have been recorded so far. When aftershocks are detected, we will update this section.What are aftershocks?Larger earthquakes (above magnitude 5 or so) such as this one are usually followed by smaller ones known as aftershocks that occur in the same area during the days, weeks, months or even years after the main shock.[More info]What about this quake?Based on its magnitude, the fault that was active during the quake likely ruptured beneath a surface area of approximately 3 km2 (1 square miles) as a first-order estimate. The length of the rupture zone thus was probably around 3 km (2 mi).[More info]Recorded aftershocks, latest first (0 quake)Aug 8, 2026 05:13 pm (GMT +12)16 minutes ago4.45 km0 km - This quakeNew Zealand: Off E. Coast OF N. Island, N.Z.Main Shock (this quake)MoreMap of aftershocksEarthquake statisticsAverage number of earthquakesBased on data from the past 56 years and our earthquake archive back to 1900, there are about 104 quakes on average per year in the area near the epicenter of this quake (within 100 km/61 mi):Mag. 6 or higher: 0.03 quakes per year (or 1 quake every 31.3 years)Mag. 5 or higher: 1.2 quakes per yearMag. 4 or higher: 20.9 quakes per yearMag. 3 or higher: 96 quakes per year (or 8 quakes per month)Mag. 2 or higher: 104 quakes per year (or 8.7 quakes per month)The area where this quake occurred has a high level of seismic activity. It has had at least 4 quakes above magnitude 6 since 1900, which suggests that larger earthquakes of this size occur infrequently, probably on average approximately every 30 to 35 years.Number of quakes per yearPrevious quakes in the same area of this earthquakeThe earthquake occurred 4 weeks after a magnitude 4.5 earthquake had hit on Sunday, Jul 12, 2026, at 03:22 pm (GMT +12 local time) in 83 km (52 mi) distance to the northwest:Mag. 4.5 earthquake South Pacific Ocean - Bay of Plenty, New Zealand - Jul 12, 2026 -The strongest-ever (since 1900) recorded quake in this area measured magnitude 7.1. It had occurred 5 years ago earlier, on Friday, Mar 5, 2021, at 01:27 am (GMT +12 local time) in South Pacific Ocean, New Zealand:Mag. 7.1 earthquake South Pacific Ocean - Gisborne, New Zealand - Mar 5, 2021 -Below is a list and map of larger or recent quakes that had occurred near the epicenter before this earthquake (within up to 100 km/61 mi distance, up to 300 km/183 mi for very large quakes above mag. 7). Filter and sort the list by magnitude or time.Max results102050100AllMagnitudeAll2+3+4+5+6+7+8+Time before48 hours1 week30 days1 year5 years30 yearsAny ageDate and TimeMagDepthDistanceLocationDetailsMapJul 12, 05:15 pm (GMT +12)4.0300 km93 km (58 mi) to the W 478 km northeast of Taupo, Waikato, New ZealandInfoJul 12, 03:22 pm (GMT +12)4.5100 km83 km (52 mi) to the NWSouth Pacific Ocean, 398 km northeast of Whakatane, Bay of Plenty, New ZealandInfoJun 7, 01:52 am (GMT +12)4.0239 km82 km (51 mi) to the SWSouth Pacific Ocean, 340 km northeast of Tauranga, Bay of Plenty, New ZealandInfoApr 23, 09:17 am (GMT +12)4.012 km99 km (62 mi) to the SSouth Pacific Ocean, 305 km northeast of Gisborne, Gisborne, New ZealandInfoApr 21, 09:22 pm (GMT +12)4.3288 km85 km (53 mi) to the WSouth Pacific Ocean, 366 km northeast of Tauranga, Bay of Plenty, New ZealandInfoApr 17, 09:08 am (GMT +12)4.45 km66 km (41 mi) to the SWSouth Pacific Ocean, 426 km northeast of Hamilton, Waikato, New ZealandInfoApr 8, 06:45 pm (GMT +12)4.5189 km81 km (50 mi) to the NWSouth Pacific Ocean, 394 km northeast of Tauranga, Bay of Plenty, New ZealandInfoApr 2, 11:00 am (GMT +12)4.9100 km50 km (31 mi) to the SW New ZealandInfoMar 23, 05:06 am (GMT +12)4.966 km22 km (13 mi) to the N Off the East Coast of the North Island of New ZealandInfoApr 18, 2024 11:09 pm (GMT +12)5.433 km71 km (44 mi) to the SWSouth Pacific Ocean, 373 km east of Great Barrier Island, Auckland, New ZealandInfoJun 25, 2021 10:22 am (GMT +12)5.5160 km58 km (36 mi) to the N New ZealandInfoMar 20, 2021 06:52 am (GMT +12)5.9162 km90 km (56 mi) to the WSouth Pacific Ocean, New Zealand 6 reportsInfoMar 5, 2021 01:27 am (GMT +12)7.190 km232 km (144 mi) to the SSouth Pacific Ocean, 192 km northeast of Gisborne, Gisborne, New Zealand 1267 reportsInfoNov 4, 2019 04:07 am (GMT +12)5.9100 km45 km (28 mi) to the NSouth Pacific Ocean, 446 km northeast of Tauranga, Bay of Plenty, New Zealand 1 reportInfoMay 11, 2019 04:06 pm (Universal Time)5.498 km82 km (51 mi) to the NWnear Magnitude 5.5, Near of Auckland 2 reportsInfoDec 25, 2018 01:12 am (GMT +12)5.1234 km42 km (26 mi) to the NWSouth Pacific Ocean, 482 km northeast of Auckland, Auckland, New ZealandInfoFeb 5, 2018 09:25 pm (GMT +12)5.110 km93 km (58 mi) to the WSouth Pacific Ocean, 323 km east of Great Barrier Island, Auckland, New ZealandInfoSep 2, 2016 04:37 am (GMT +12)7.026 km240 km (149 mi) to the SSouth Pacific Ocean, 64 km northeast of East Island, Gisborne, New Zealand 24 reportsInfoJan 16, 2013 07:04 am (GMT +12)5.3157 km99 km (62 mi) to the WSouth Pacific Ocean, 413 km northeast of Auckland, Auckland, New ZealandInfoAug 4, 2012 01:42 am (GMT +12)5.169 km84 km (52 mi) to the SSouth Pacific Ocean, 435 km northeast of Hamilton, Waikato, New ZealandInfoNov 3, 2011 05:02 pm (GMT +12)5.3221 km85 km (53 mi) to the WSouth Pacific Ocean, 330 km east of Great Barrier Island, Auckland, New ZealandInfoApr 1, 2008 02:00 pm (GMT +12)5.396 km79 km (49 mi) to the SWSouth Pacific Ocean, 346 km east of Great Barrier Island, Auckland, New ZealandInfoDec 7, 2007 01:18 am (GMT +12)5.1170 km87 km (54 mi) to the NWSouth Pacific Ocean, 349 km east of Great Barrier Island, Auckland, New ZealandInfoOct 14, 2005 08:27 pm (GMT +12)5.7204 km88 km (55 mi) to the NWSouth Pacific Ocean, 346 km north of East Island, Gisborne, New ZealandInfoMar 16, 2005 09:32 pm (GMT +12)5.185 km31 km (19 mi) to the NWSouth Pacific Ocean, 399 km east of Great Barrier Island, Auckland, New ZealandInfoJan 18, 2003 02:10 pm (GMT +12)5.2115 km79 km (49 mi) to the SWSouth Pacific Ocean, 348 km east of Great Barrier Island, Auckland, New ZealandInfoDec 1, 2002 02:27 pm (GMT +12)5.933 km25 km (15 mi) to the N Off The East Coast of The North Island of New ZealandInfoDec 27, 2000 03:21 am (GMT +12)5.633 km42 km (26 mi) to the NW 486 km northeast of Auckland, Auckland, New ZealandInfoJun 6, 2000 03:23 am (GMT +12)5.2156 km66 km (41 mi) to the SW Off E. Coast of N. Island, N.Z.InfoNov 12, 1998 11:20 am (GMT +12)5.633 km90 km (56 mi) to the NSouth Pacific Ocean, 365 km north of East Island, Gisborne, New ZealandInfoSep 20, 1998 07:14 pm (GMT +12)5.676 km26 km (16 mi) to the SSouth Pacific Ocean, 483 km northeast of Hamilton, Waikato, New ZealandInfoFeb 6, 1995 11:51 am (Auckland)7.121 km286 km (177 mi) to the SSouth Pacific Ocean, 119 km northeast of Gisborne, Gisborne, New ZealandInfoAug 15, 1993 03:32 pm (GMT +12)5.626 km73 km (45 mi) to the SSouth Pacific Ocean, 455 km northeast of Hamilton, Waikato, New ZealandInfoDec 15, 1992 07:13 am (GMT +12)5.9247 km83 km (52 mi) to the NSouth Pacific Ocean, 348 km north of East Island, Gisborne, New ZealandInfoSep 9, 1988 10:27 am (GMT +12)5.586 km36 km (22 mi) to the SWSouth Pacific Ocean, 387 km east of Great Barrier Island, Auckland, New ZealandInfoOct 12, 1987 06:02 am (GMT +12)5.633 km44 km (27 mi) to the NWSouth Pacific Ocean, 315 km north of East Island, Gisborne, New ZealandInfoAug 17, 1987 09:38 am (GMT +12)6.174 km49 km (31 mi) to the NWSouth Pacific Ocean, 318 km north of East Island, Gisborne, New ZealandInfoApr 11, 1985 11:55 pm (GMT +12)5.9108 km85 km (53 mi) to the WSouth Pacific Ocean, 330 km east of Great Barrier Island, Auckland, New ZealandInfoJul 4, 1981 01:59 pm (GMT +12)5.433 km41 km (26 mi) to the NWSouth Pacific Ocean, 390 km east of Great Barrier Island, Auckland, New ZealandInfoNov 29, 1980 06:48 pm (GMT +12)5.733 km6.4 km (4 mi) to the E Off The East Coast of The North Island of New ZealandInfoSep 1, 1965 04:47 pm (GMT +12)6.0102 km77 km (48 mi) to the N South of The Kermadec IslandsInfoFeb 13, 1938 08:03 am (Universal Time)6.635 km74 km (46 mi) to the SWSouth Pacific Ocean, 365 km east of Great Barrier Island, Auckland, New ZealandInfoMap of earlier quakes in the area of this quakeMax results102050100AllMagnitudeAll2+3+4+5+6+7+8+Time before48 hours1 week30 days1 year5 years30 yearsAny ageOldest quakes are shown in yellow, most recent in red.[quakes -][quakes +][smaller][bigger]