In the evening of Monday February 2nd, 2026, a shallow and significant MAG-5.3 earthquake hit in the Tasman Sea 220 kilometer from Invercargill, New Zealand.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the Tasman Sea, 131 kilometers (81 mi) off the coast of New Zealand, 220 kilometer west of Invercargill in Southland. The center of this earthquake had a very shallow depth of 10 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.
| Date and Time: | Feb 2, 2026 21:15 (Auckland Time) - Feb 2, 2026 08:15 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 220 km west of Invercargill, Southland, New Zealand. Coordinates 46°38'39"S 165°29'25"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.3 Detected by 29 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.058 . |
| Depth: | 10 km (6 mi) A very 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 220 kilometer (137 mi) west of the epicenter of this earthquake, Invercargill (Southland, New Zealand) is the nearest significant population center.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 220 km (137 mi) E from epicenter |
Invercargill Southland, New Zealand. |
Shaking reported by 3 people
People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 3 people have reported shaking in one place in 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:
- Invercargill, Southland, New Zealand: 3 people.
3 Aftershocks detected
This main shock was followed by 3 smaller aftershocks. At a distance of 21 km (13 mi) south-east of this earthquake, an aftershock struck 5 mins later. It measured a magnitude of 4.2
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main Shock This Earthquake |
M 5.3 |
Feb 2, 2026 21:15 (Auckland Time) | - |
| Aftershock | M 4.2 |
5 mins later Feb 2, 2026 21:20 (Auckland Time) | 21 km (13 mi) SE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.2 |
11 hrs later Feb 3, 2026 08:01 (Auckland Time) | 8 km (5 mi) SSE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.8 |
3 days later Feb 5, 2026 21:06 (Auckland Time) | 14 km (9 mi) ESE from Main Shock. |
More earthquakes coming?
Earthquakes can create aftershocks. These are generally at least 1 magnitude lower than any main shock, and as time passes the chance and strength of aftershocks decreases.
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 January 18th, 2026, when a 5.3 magnitude earthquake hit 166 km (103 mi) further south. An even stronger magnitude 6.7 earthquake struck on March 25th, 2025.
In total, 13 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.3 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 9 months.
Low tsunami risk
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 5.3. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 10 km (6 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 09/02/26 07:48 (). This article contains currently available information about the earthquake and is automatically composed. We continue to update this article up to a few days after the earthquake occurred.
- US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us6000s5x6
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260202_0000121
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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