Latest earthquakes near Christchurch, Canterbury today

Complete overview of the latest earthquakes near Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand, updated every minute. Did you feel an earthquake today in Christchurch? If an earthquake is happening right now near Christchurch, it will show up within minutes.

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List of latest earthquakes near Christchurch.
Date and Time Magnitude Distance
Dec 9, 2024 20:17
(Auckland)
M 3.5 279 km NE
from Christchurch
Dec 8, 2024 14:59
(Auckland)
M 3.0 111 km NW
from Christchurch
Dec 4, 2024 17:39
(Auckland)
M 3.0 254 km NNE
from Christchurch
Nov 29, 2024 00:02
(Auckland)
M 3.1 85 km N
from Christchurch
Nov 27, 2024 08:00
(Auckland)
M 3.0 253 km N
from Christchurch
Nov 23, 2024 06:07
(Auckland)
M 3.1 12 km SSW
from Christchurch
Nov 22, 2024 23:30
(Auckland)
M 3.3 249 km NNE
from Christchurch
Nov 10, 2024 11:33
(Auckland)
M 3.3 238 km NNE
from Christchurch
Nov 10, 2024 05:24
(Auckland)
M 3.0 182 km NNW
from Christchurch
Nov 5, 2024 11:34
(Auckland)
M 3.6 110 km NW
from Christchurch
Nov 4, 2024 15:58
(Auckland)
M 4.3 283 km NNE
from Christchurch
Nov 3, 2024 07:44
(Auckland)
M 3.4 160 km N
from Christchurch
Oct 31, 2024 15:17
(Auckland)
M 3.4 261 km NNE
from Christchurch
Oct 30, 2024 07:47
(Auckland)
M 3.5 191 km N
from Christchurch
Oct 28, 2024 09:45
(Auckland)
M 3.7 139 km N
from Christchurch
Oct 26, 2024 10:33
(Auckland)
M 3.0 92 km WSW
from Christchurch
Oct 24, 2024 10:06
(Auckland)
M 3.1 58 km SE
from Christchurch
Oct 22, 2024 15:47
(Auckland)
M 3.4 86 km NNW
from Christchurch
Oct 18, 2024 20:03
(Auckland)
M 3.0 239 km NNE
from Christchurch
Oct 17, 2024 17:23
(Auckland)
M 3.6 101 km NNW
from Christchurch
Oct 14, 2024 12:45
(Auckland)
M 3.1 169 km N
from Christchurch
Oct 13, 2024 19:56
(Auckland)
M 3.0 245 km NNE
from Christchurch
Oct 12, 2024 09:15
(Auckland)
M 3.0 185 km N
from Christchurch
Oct 10, 2024 06:00
(Auckland)
M 3.1 242 km E
from Christchurch
Oct 7, 2024 14:23
(Auckland)
M 3.8 291 km NNE
from Christchurch

Map of Latest Earthquakes near Christchurch

Christchurch Earthquake Statistics

Average Earthquakes:
57 Yearly
Within 300 km, Mag 4+, last 10 years
Latest Earthquake:
Mag 3.5
Dec 9, 2024 20:17

Average

A total of 574 earthquakes with a magnitude of four or above have struck within 300 km (186 mi) of Christchurch, Canterbury in the past 10 years. This comes down to a yearly average of 57 earthquakes per year, or 4 per month. On average an earthquake will hit near Christchurch roughly every 6 days.

A relatively large number of earthquakes occurred near Christchurch in 2016. A total of 358 earthquakes (mag 4+) were detected within 300 km of Christchurch that year. The strongest had a 7.8 magnitude.

Yearly Earthquakes within 300 km (186 mi) of Christchurch with a magnitude of 4 or above.

Magnitude Distribution

The table below visualizes the distribution of all earthquakes that occurred within 300km of Christchurch in the past 10 years. No earthquakes with a magnitude of 8 or above have occurred near Christchurch during this time. Usually, higher magnitudes are less common than lower magnitudes. Small earthquakes with a magnitude below 4 on the Richter scale have been omitted from this overview.

Earthquakes by magnitude near Christchurch (past 10 years).
Magnitude Earthquakes Percentage
Mag. 4 522 90.94%
Mag. 5 45 7.84%
Mag. 6 6 1.05%
Mag. 7 1 0.17%
Mag. 8 0 0.0%
Mag. 9 0 0.0%
Mag. 10 0 0.0%

Strongest earthquakes near Christchurch

Strongest in 10 years:
Mag 7.8
On Nov 14, 2016 00:02.
Strongest since 1900:
Mag 7.8
On Nov 14, 2016 00:02.

The strongest recent earthquake of the past 10 years near Christchurch occurred on Nov 14, 2016 00:02 local time (Pacific/Auckland timezone). It had a magnitude of 7.8 and struck 95 kilometers (59 mi) north-northeast of Christchurch, at a depth of 15 km. Discover more strong earthquakes near Christchurch in the list below.

In the table below you will find the strongest earthquakes that occurred near Christchurch, Canterbury in the past 10 years. You can use the tabs to find the heaviest historic earthquakes since the year 1900 or within a specific year or distance from Christchurch.

Last 10 yrs All magnitudes
2023 All mag
Historic M6+ since 1900
Custom
List of strongest earthquakes near Christchurch.
Date and Time Magnitude Distance
Nov 14, 2016 00:02
(Auckland)
M 7.8 95 km NNE
from Christchurch
Nov 14, 2016 13:34
(Auckland)
M 6.5 115 km NNE
from Christchurch
Nov 14, 2016 00:32
(Auckland)
M 6.5 159 km NNE
from Christchurch
Nov 14, 2016 02:31
(Auckland)
M 6.2 161 km NNE
from Christchurch
Apr 24, 2015 15:36
(Auckland)
M 6.1 167 km N
from Christchurch
Nov 14, 2016 00:52
(Auckland)
M 6.1 171 km NNE
from Christchurch
Apr 24, 2015 15:36
(Auckland)
M 6.0 155 km NNE
from Christchurch
Nov 14, 2016 00:33
(Auckland)
M 5.8 214 km NE
from Christchurch
Nov 14, 2016 08:28
(Auckland)
M 5.8 206 km NE
from Christchurch
Feb 14, 2016 13:13
(Auckland)
M 5.8 13 km ENE
from Christchurch

Map of Strongest Earthquakes near Christchurch

Nearest earthquakes from Christchurch

These are the earthquakes with their epicenter nearest to Christchurch, Canterbury. You can use the buttons to find nearby earthquakes for a specific year or with a specific magnitude.

List of nearest earthquakes from Christchurch.
Date and Time Magnitude Distance
Dec 24, 2014 19:43
(Auckland)
M 4.0 8 km ESE
from Christchurch
Feb 14, 2016 13:13
(Auckland)
M 5.8 13 km ENE
from Christchurch
Apr 21, 2023 07:37
(Auckland)
M 4.5 13 km ENE
from Christchurch
Mar 12, 2016 23:01
(Auckland)
M 4.4 14 km E
from Christchurch
Feb 29, 2016 03:32
(Auckland)
M 4.3 15 km ESE
from Christchurch
Feb 18, 2016 19:17
(Auckland)
M 4.0 19 km ENE
from Christchurch
Nov 6, 2020 07:26
(Auckland)
M 4.0 24 km WSW
from Christchurch
May 11, 2016 20:45
(Auckland)
M 4.4 25 km ESE
from Christchurch
Jun 25, 2022 05:40
(Auckland)
M 4.0 28 km WSW
from Christchurch
Dec 13, 2014 02:37
(Auckland)
M 4.3 30 km SW
from Christchurch

Map of Nearest Earthquakes from Christchurch

Frequently Asked Questions

These questions are commonly asked in relation to earthquakes occurring near Christchurch.

When was the last earthquake in Christchurch, Canterbury?

A 3.5 magnitude earthquake hit near Christchurch on the evening of December 9, 2024 at 20:17 local time (Pacific/Auckland). The center of this earthquake was located 279km north-east of Christchurch at a depth of 10km under water in the Tasman Sea. Check the list on our website for any earthquakes occurring near Christchurch, Canterbury in the past hours.

What was the strongest earthquake near Christchurch, Canterbury?

A 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit near Christchurch on the night of November 14, 2016 at 00:02 local time (Pacific/Auckland). The center of this earthquake was located 95km north-northeast of Christchurch at a depth of 15km under land. This is the strongest earthquake that occurred near Christchurch since the year 1900.

How often do earthquakes occur near Christchurch, Canterbury?

In the past 10 years, 574 earthquakes with a magnitude of four or higher occurred within a 300 kilometer range from Christchurch. This averages to 57 earthquakes yearly, or one earthquake every 6 days.