Light magnitude 3.9 earthquake at 389 km depth23 May 07:59 UTC: First to report: GEONET (NZ) after 4 minutes.I didn't feel itI felt this quakeEarthquake detailsDate & timeMay 23, 2026 07:55:23 UTC - Local time at epicenterSaturday, May 23, 2026, at 07:55 am (Universal Time GMT +0)Statuspreliminary (automatic detection)Magnitude3.9Depth389 kmEpicenter latitude / longitude35.3577°S / 177.9889°ENew ZealandSeismic antipode35.3577°N / 2.011°WAlgeriaShaking intensityNot feltPrimary data sourceGEONET (NZ) (Earthquake Commission and Geological Survey, New Zealand)Nearest volcanoRumble II West (49 km / 30 mi)Estimated seismic energy released4.5 x 1010 joules (12.4 megawatt hours, equivalent to 10.7 tons of TNT) | equivalent to ONE quake of magnitude 3.9 | about seismic energy4 minutes agoMay 23, 2026 07:55 GMT / May 23, 2026 07:55 am (Universal Time)Lat / Lng: -35.3577 / 177.98892: New ZealandSource: GEONET (NZ)Detail info | You felt it? - Report it!';storedMarkers.push(['quake-23027352',-35.35770,177.98892,'4 minutes ago: Mag. 3.9, New Zealand',html,'quakes-5-24.png',18,18,9,9,124]); 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 near the epicenter is Hicks Bay, a town with 1,400 inhabitants in New Zealand, in 251 km (156 mi) distance to the south, but it is unlikely that the quake was felt there. DistancePlaceMax. shaking intensity(*)RegionCountry251 km (156 mi)S of epicenterHicks Bay(pop: 1,390): Not feltGisborne District, GisborneNew Zealand259 km (161 mi)SW of epicenterMatarangi(pop: 390): Not feltThames-Coromandel District, WaikatoNew Zealand263 km (164 mi)SW of epicenterWhitianga(pop: 6,230): Not feltThames-Coromandel District, WaikatoNew Zealand266 km (165 mi)SW of epicenterTairua(pop: 1,590): Not feltThames-Coromandel District, WaikatoNew Zealand266 km (166 mi)S of epicenterTe Kaha(pop: 387): Not feltOpotiki District, Bay of PlentyNew Zealand268 km (166 mi)SW of epicenterColville(pop: 1,490): Not feltThames-Coromandel District, WaikatoNew Zealand273 km (170 mi)SW of epicenterCoromandel(pop: 1,790): Not feltWaikatoNew Zealand280 km (174 mi)SW of epicenterWhangamata(pop: 4,270): Not feltThames-Coromandel District, WaikatoNew Zealand291 km (181 mi)SW of epicenterTe Puru(pop: 846): Not feltThames-Coromandel District, WaikatoNew Zealand292 km (182 mi)SW of epicenterWaihi Beach(pop: 2,670): Not feltWestern Bay of Plenty District, Bay of PlentyNew Zealand296 km (184 mi)SW of epicenterThames(pop: 7,140): Not feltWaikatoNew Zealand301 km (187 mi)SW of epicenterMaketu(pop: 1,410): Not feltWestern Bay of Plenty District, Bay of PlentyNew Zealand304 km (189 mi)SW of epicenterOrere Point(pop: 345): Not feltAuckland, AucklandNew Zealand305 km (190 mi)SW of epicenterPaeroa(pop: 3,990): Not feltHauraki District, WaikatoNew Zealand306 km (190 mi)SW of epicenterTauranga(pop: 155,200): Not feltBay of PlentyNew Zealand306 km (190 mi)SW of epicenterKatikati(pop: 6,000): Not feltWestern Bay of Plenty District, Bay of PlentyNew Zealand307 km (191 mi)SW of epicenterTe Puke(pop: 10,500): Not feltWestern Bay of Plenty District, Bay of PlentyNew Zealand309 km (192 mi)SW of epicenterOmokoroa(pop: 5,990): Not feltWestern Bay of Plenty District, Bay of PlentyNew Zealand309 km (192 mi)SW of epicenterNgatea(pop: 1,150): Not feltHauraki District, WaikatoNew Zealand311 km (193 mi)SW of epicenterOneroa(pop: 1,350): Not feltAuckland, AucklandNew Zealand314 km (195 mi)SW of epicenterMaraetai(pop: 2,770): Not feltAuckland, AucklandNew Zealand316 km (196 mi)SW of epicenterTe Aroha(pop: 4,700): Not feltMatamata-Piako District, WaikatoNew Zealand321 km (199 mi)SW of epicenterOropi(pop: 2,520): Not feltWestern Bay of Plenty District, Bay of PlentyNew Zealand321 km (199 mi)SW of epicenterClevedon(pop: 1,520): Not feltAuckland, AucklandNew Zealand323 km (201 mi)SW of epicenterHowick(pop: 12,000): Not feltAuckland, AucklandNew Zealand324 km (201 mi)SW of epicenterPakuranga(pop: 10,000): Not feltAuckland, AucklandNew Zealand325 km (202 mi)SW of epicenterMaramarua(pop: 1,770): Not feltWaikato District, WaikatoNew Zealand328 km (204 mi)SW of epicenterWaitoa(pop: 1,170): Not feltMatamata-Piako District, WaikatoNew Zealand332 km (206 mi)SW of epicenterTakanini(pop: 17,100): Not feltAuckland, AucklandNew Zealand333 km (207 mi)SW of epicenterPapakura(pop: 35,600): Not feltAuckland, AucklandNew Zealand337 km (209 mi)SW of epicenterMorrinsville(pop: 9,710): Not feltMatamata-Piako District, WaikatoNew Zealand338 km (210 mi)SW of epicenterMatamata(pop: 6,310): Not feltWaikatoNew Zealand341 km (212 mi)SW of epicenterTe Kauwhata(pop: 3,740): Not feltWaikato District, WaikatoNew Zealand341 km (212 mi)SW of epicenterPukekohe East(pop: 21,400): Not feltAuckland, AucklandNew Zealand352 km (219 mi)SW of epicenterOnewhero(pop: 390): Not feltWaikato District, WaikatoNew Zealand352 km (219 mi)SW of epicenterHuntly(pop: 8,850): Not feltWaikato District, WaikatoNew Zealand361 km (224 mi)SW of epicenterNgaruawahia(pop: 8,500): Not feltWaikato District, WaikatoNew Zealand361 km (224 mi)SW of epicenterCambridge(pop: 15,200): Not feltWaipa District, WaikatoNew Zealand362 km (225 mi)SW of epicenterHamilton(pop: 189,700): Not feltWaikatoNew Zealand716 km (445 mi)S 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 GMT2026-05-23EpicenterAgency3.9389 km242 mi07:55:23New ZealandGEONET (NZ) (Earthquake Commission and Geological Survey, New Zealand)Earthquake statisticsAverage number of earthquakesBased on data from the past 56 years and our earthquake archive back to 1900, there are about 176 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: 1.06 quakes per yearMag. 4 or higher: 18.1 quakes per yearMag. 3 or higher: 137 quakes per year (or 11.4 quakes per month)Mag. 2 or higher: 176 quakes per year (or 14.7 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 earthquake