Two major earthquakes were detected in New Zealand on Friday local time.
The first strong magnitude 7.3 earthquake was detected early in the morning east of New Zealand’s North Island, but the tsunami warning that was requested at the time has been eliminated in the meantime. The second earthquake came after the first in just a few hours in northeastern New Zealand, in a largely uninhabited area of the Carmadec Islands, just hours away.
The Pacific Tsunami Forecast Center (PTWC) previously reported a 7.3-magnitude earthquake east of New Zealand’s North Island, which, according to field reports, has been in occurrence for a long time, including major New Zealand cities in Auckland, Wellington as well as in Christchurch.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) also originally set the magnitude of the earthquake to 7.3, but later corrected it to 6.9. According to UDGS, the nest of the earthquake was at a depth of ten kilometers.
However, New Zealand Science Agency GeoNet reported a magnitude 7.2 earthquake with a nest depth of 94 kilometers just a hundred kilometers off the coast of Gisborne. There have been reports of several minor aftershocks.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern wrote on her Instagram microblog, “I hope everyone is well, especially those who were able to feel the full force of the earthquake on the East Coast.”
The agency said earlier that a tsunami could be expected in an area of 300 km around the epicenter. The New Zealand Disaster Management Agency wrote on its Twitter page at the time: “Anyone who felt a long or strong earthquake near the coast should immediately go to the nearest altitude or take refuge as far as possible within the island.” A few hours later, the authority withdrew the warning.
Only another strong earthquake followed the early hours.
According to the Euro-Mediterranean Seismological Center (EMSC), an earthquake of 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude was nested at a depth of ten kilometers in the Kermadyk Islands region of New Zealand. The US Geological Survey warned of the danger of a tsunami.
There are no reports of injuries or potential damage.
