Did Wellington just have an earthquake?

A light earthquake has struck the lower North Island near Wellington this afternoon, with thousands reporting to have felt the shaking. The 3.9 magnitude quake was around 30km deep and hit around 5km north-east of Lower Hutt, just at 4.20pm today, according to GeoNet.

Was there an earthquake in Wellington this morning?

A 4.5 magnitude earthquake has struck near Wellington early this morning, with almost 13 thousand people reporting they felt the shaking on the GeoNet website. GeoNet has described the quake as being “moderate”, with the jolt mostly felt around the lower North Island.

Could a tsunami hit Wellington?

After a long or strong earthquake a tsunami may reach Wellington in as little as 10 minutes. When the shaking stops, and if you live or work in a tsunami zone, you will have to make a quick decision on whether to stay or go.

When was the last major earthquake in Wellington?

23 January 1855
At 9:11pm, on 23 January 1855, the southern part of the North Island was struck by a magnitude 8.2 earthquake, the most powerful ever recorded in New Zealand. Four people were killed and the landscape of the Wellington region was changed significantly.

Where is the safest place in NZ?

The Selwyn District is the safest place in New Zealand based on crime statistics.

Has NZ ever had a tsunami?

New Zealand has experienced about 10 tsunamis higher than 5m since 1840. Such a tsunami can arrive within minutes – before there is time to issue a warning. Distant earthquakes give more warning time. Some tsunamis are turbulent, foaming walls of water filled with debris and sand that crash ashore and sweep inland.

What is the biggest earthquake ever recorded?

Mw 9.5 earthquake
On May 22, 1960, a great Mw 9.5 earthquake, the largest earthquake ever instrumentally recorded, occurred off the coast of southern Chile. This earthquake generated a tsunami that was destructive not only along the coast of Chile.

Is Wellington in danger of tsunami?

The perception that the hazard is low is probably because New Zealand has not experienced a large locally-generated tsunami since 1947AD (or 1855AD for the Wellington Region), or a large distantly-generated tsunami since the 1960AD Chilean earthquake. It is likely that a tsunami will occur soon.

Is New Zealand due for a big earthquake?

There is now a 75 per cent chance a large earthquake will happen along the Alpine Fault in the next 50 years, according to the research. “But we can take it a step beyond that,” Jamie said.

Is New Zealand in the Ring of Fire?

New Zealand is located on the edge of a zone of intense seismic activity known as the Ring of Fire. This borders the Pacific Plate and includes many of the world’s greatest seismic and volcanic hot spots, including Indonesia, Japan, California, Peru and Chile.

What size earthquake would destroy the earth?

TIL that a magnitude 15 earthquake on the Richter scale would destroy the planet.