Earthquakes in New Zealand — March 2025

16 earthquakes were recorded in New Zealand during March 2025, an average of 0.5 per day.

16 reached magnitude 4 or above and 4 reached magnitude 5 or above. The average focal depth was 67 km.

The month's largest event in New Zealand was a magnitude 7.0 earthquake near Riverton, New Zealand on 25 March 2025 at 01:43 UTC. A magnitude 7.0 earthquake radiates roughly 476,879 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

That is well above the New Zealand monthly average of 9 events over the period we cover — an unusually active month, and up from the 7 recorded the previous month.

69% of events here are shallow (under 70 km), 31% intermediate (70–300 km) and 0% deep-focus (over 300 km). A substantial share of intermediate-depth events points to a subducting slab beneath the region rather than purely crustal faulting.

By band, the catalogue holds 12 in the magnitude 4 range, 2 in the magnitude 5 range, 1 in the magnitude 6 range, 1 in the magnitude 7 range.

Activity peaked on 25 March, when 5 events were recorded.

1 event(s) this month carry a USGS link to NOAA tsunami information; the flag does not indicate whether a tsunami occurred.

The month's largest events were M7.0 near Riverton, New Zealand on 25 March at 10 km; M6.7 near Riverton, New Zealand on 25 March at 21 km; M5.4 near Riverton, New Zealand on 25 March at 12 km.

That is 78% above the 9 events New Zealand averages per month across the 21 months on record.

This month also holds the strongest earthquake recorded in New Zealand in our entire catalogue.