WELLINGTON: The US Geological Survey (USGS) reported that an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.1 occurred on Thursday morning near the Kermadec Islands area of New Zealand.
The USGS noted that the depth of the earthquake was assessed to be 10 km (6.21 miles). According to the US Tsunami Warning System, a tsunami warning was issued following the earthquake.
According to Australia's Department of Meteorology, there is no tsunami threat to the country.
The National Disaster Management Agency of New Zealand stated that following the M7.0 earthquake in the Southern Kermadec Islands, there is no tsunami hazard to New Zealand.
Due to its location near the meeting point of the Pacific Plate and the Australian Plate, two of the world's largest tectonic plates, New Zealand is vulnerable to earthquakes. The intensity of earthquake activity varies across the nation, though.
In New Zealand's seismic areas, Wellington is one of the most active, while Auckland is one of the least active. The island nation is also close to the Ring of Fire, a region of extremely active earthquakes.
According to studies, New Zealand and the surrounding areas experience thousands of earthquakes annually.
GNS Science (GeoNet) reports that at 7:38 p.m. on February 15, 2023, a magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck 50 kilometers north-west of Paraparaumu, New Zealand.
The quake's depth was 57.4 kilometers, and it had a considerable intensity immediately surrounding it. The quake may have been felt in Paraparaumu, Levin, Porirua, French Pass, Upper Hutt, Lower Hutt, Wellington, Whanganui, Waverley, Palmerston North, Feilding, Picton, Eketahuna, Masterton, Martinborough, Hunterville, Hawera, Blenheim, Seddon, Nelson, Dannevirke, Pongaroa, Stratford, Opunake, Taihape, Castlepoint, Motueka, and surrounding localities.
The earthquake occurred just a few days after Turkey and Syria experienced the deadliest quake in decades, which claimed thousands of lives.
The devastating earthquakes on February 6 caused hundreds of structures to collapse, and more bodies were discovered on recently.
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