Written by on . Last updated December 3rd, 2024.

A M4.3 earthquake struck under land 43 kilometer from Wellington in New Zealand in the afternoon of Monday November 4th, 2024.

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Earthquake Summary

The earthquake struck on land in New Zealand, 43 kilometer (27 mi) west of Wellington. The center of this earthquake had a quite shallow depth of 35 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.

Date and Time: Nov 4, 2024 15:58 (Auckland Time)
- Nov 4, 2024 02:58 Universal Time.
Location: 43 km west of Wellington, New Zealand.
Coordinates 41°17'9"S 174°15'43"E.
Map: Map of area around epicenter.
Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps.
Magnitude: MAG 4.3
Detected by 33 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.054 .
Depth: 35 km (22 mi)
A quite shallow depth.
Tsunami Risk: Low tsunami risk
Earthquakes under MAG-6.5 do not usually cause tsunami's.
Always stay cautious - More info here.

Nearby towns and cities

This earthquake may have been felt in New Zealand . Located 36 kilometer (22 mi) north-east of the epicenter of this earthquake, Blenheim (Marlborough, New Zealand) is the nearest significant population center.

Multiple major population centers exist within 300km of the earthquake that struck today. Wellington is located 43 km to the east. Lower Hutt is located 55 km to the east. Christchurch is located 283 km to the south-southwest.

A complete list of nearby places is included below.

Overview of nearby places

Distance Place
36 km (22 mi)
SW from epicenter
Blenheim

Marlborough, New Zealand.
40 km (25 mi)
E from epicenter
Karori

Wellington, New Zealand.
43 km (27 mi)
E from epicenter
Wellington

Wellington, New Zealand.
52 km (32 mi)
ENE from epicenter
Porirua

Wellington, New Zealand.
55 km (34 mi)
E from epicenter
Lower Hutt

Wellington, New Zealand.
58 km (36 mi)
E from epicenter
Wainuiomata

Wellington, New Zealand.
68 km (42 mi)
ENE from epicenter
Upper Hutt

Wellington, New Zealand.
75 km (47 mi)
ENE from epicenter
Paraparaumu

Wellington, New Zealand.
82 km (51 mi)
W from epicenter
Nelson

Nelson, New Zealand.
86 km (53 mi)
W from epicenter
Stoke

Nelson, New Zealand.
112 km (70 mi)
NE from epicenter
Levin

Manawatu-Wanganui, New Zealand.
122 km (76 mi)
ENE from epicenter
Masterton

Wellington, New Zealand.
148 km (92 mi)
NE from epicenter
Linton Military Camp

Manawatu-Wanganui, New Zealand.
154 km (96 mi)
NE from epicenter
Palmerston North

Manawatu-Wanganui, New Zealand.
164 km (102 mi)
NNE from epicenter
Whanganui

Manawatu-Wanganui, New Zealand.
247 km (153 mi)
N from epicenter
New Plymouth

Taranaki, New Zealand.
264 km (164 mi)
SSW from epicenter
Rangiora

Canterbury, New Zealand.
283 km (176 mi)
SSW from epicenter
Christchurch

Canterbury, New Zealand.
285 km (177 mi)
NE from epicenter
Hastings

Hawke's Bay, New Zealand.
293 km (182 mi)
NE from epicenter
Taradale

Hawke's Bay, New Zealand.
Cities and Towns around the epicenter of this earthquake.

Shaking reported by 6 people

People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 6 people have reported shaking in 3 places, all within New Zealand.We keep updating this article as more ground reports become available. You may report that you felt this earthquake here.

Places with most reports:

  • Blenheim, Marlborough, New Zealand: 2 people.
  • Lower Hutt, Wellington, New Zealand: 2 people.
  • Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand: 2 people.

Risk of aftershocks?

We monitor for foreshocks or aftershocks that have a magnitude of 2.5+ and occur within 100km (62 mi) of the epicenter of this earthquake. So far no such earthquakes have been detected.

The risk of aftershocks decreases rapidly over time. Usually, aftershocks are at least one order of magnitude lower than a main shock.

The chance that a significant earthquake like this one is followed by an even larger earthquake is not so large. On average, scientists estimate a 94% chance that a major earthquake will not be followed by an even larger one. It is still adviced to be aware of this risk

Read: How to Stay Safe during an Earthquake (cdc.gov).

Earthquakes like this happen often in the region

Earthquakes of this strength are very common in the region. This is the strongest earthquake to hit since November 1st, 2024, when a 4.3 magnitude earthquake hit 163 km (101 mi) further northwest. An even stronger magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck on November 13th, 2016.

In total, 517 earthquakes with a magnitude of 4.3 or higher have been registered within 300km (186 mi) of this epicenter in the past 10 years. This comes down to an average of once every 7 days.

Low tsunami risk

DISCLAIMER: We strongly suggest to closely monitor advice from local authorities with regards to tsunami risks. Our analysis is based on automatically collected data from external sources, and these might contain mistakes. In addition, earthquakes can cause landslides that may lead to a tsunami, or be a followed by another, potentially stonger, earthquake.

Based on early data it appears this earthquake was not strong enough (lower than MAG-6.5) to be likely to cause destructive tsunami's. However this earthquake appeared to have hit at a shallow depth under sea, so stay cautious and monitor advice from local authorities.

Tsunami Risk Factors

Factor Under Sea? MAG-6.5 or stronger? Shallow depth?
Explanation Almost all tsunami's are caused by earthquakes with their epicenter under sea or very near the sea. However stay cautious in coastal areas as earthquakes on land may cause landslides into sea, potentially still causing a local tsunami. Under MAG 6.5: Very unlikely to cause a tsunami.
MAG 6.5 to 7.5: Destructive tsunami's do occur, but are uncommon. Likely to observe small sea level changes.
MAG 7.6+: Earthquakes with these magnitudes might produce destructive tsunami's.
Most destructive tsunami's are caused by shallow earthquakes with a depth between 0 and 100km under the surface of the earth. Deeper tsunami's are unlikely to displace to ocean floor.
This Earthquake This earthquake appears to have struck under the sea. Not this earthquake.
This earthquake had a magnitude of 4.3. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami.
This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 35 km (22 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami.

Sources

Last updated 03/12/24 02:18 (). As more information on this earthquake becomes available this article will be updated. This article is automatically composed based on data originating from multiple sources.

  1. US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us7000npst
  2. European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20241104_0000051
  3. Geonames.org: World Cities Database
  4. Google Maps: Static API
  5. Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database

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