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M4.4 Earthquake near Pauanui, New Zealand — 16 December 2024

A light earthquake of magnitude 4.4 was recorded near Pauanui, New Zealand on , with an epicentre 98 km east of Pauanui, at a focal depth of 288.8 km. It ranked as the 11th strongest of 14 earthquakes recorded in New Zealand in the preceding 30 days.

4.4 Light

Time (UTC): 2024-12-16 22:18:36

Time (your timezone): —

Magnitude: 4.4 (light)

Focal depth: 288.8 km (intermediate)

Epicentre: -36.9032, 176.9610

Location: 98 km E of Pauanui, New Zealand

Country: New Zealand

USGS link to NOAA tsunami information: Not linked

Review status: Reviewed

Source: USGS event page

How strong was this earthquake?

Light earthquakes are widely felt near the epicentre and can rattle windows, dishes and hanging objects. Damage is uncommon and usually limited to cracked plaster or fallen loose items.

A magnitude 4.4 earthquake radiates roughly 60 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

The USGS assigns this earthquake a significance score of 298, which is below the USGS threshold of more than 600 for its significant-earthquake list. The ranking combines magnitude with available Did You Feel It responses and PAGER alert level; it is not a direct measurement of damage.

What the magnitude scale actually measures →

When it happened locally

That is about 10:06 local solar time at the epicentre, during the morning.

This event was deeper than 99% of the 196 earthquakes recorded in New Zealand in our catalogue and stronger than 28% of them.

Where was the epicentre?

The epicentre was located at -36.9032, 176.9610 — 98 km east of Pauanui. The closest other recorded event was a magnitude 4.4 earthquake 14 km south-southeast of here on 16 May 2026.

The nearest other settlements in our records are Whakatane (94 km south), Maketu (120 km south-southwest), Ohinemutu (155 km south-southwest) and Ngongotaha (158 km south-southwest).

Why the 289 km depth matters

At 289 km this was an intermediate-depth earthquake. Energy from events at this depth spreads out before it reaches the surface, which usually means weaker shaking near the epicentre than a shallow quake of the same magnitude, but shaking felt across a wider area.

This catalogue does not ingest eyewitness responses, so it cannot confirm where this earthquake was felt. Based on magnitude alone, an event this size is often felt across the surrounding area. Its intermediate depth normally reduces peak shaking near the epicentre compared with a shallow event of the same magnitude.

Read more on how focal depth changes what you feel →

What does the tsunami information flag mean?

The USGS record does not carry a link to NOAA tsunami information. That field is not an all-clear and does not state whether a tsunami occurred. In this case, a damaging tsunami would be less likely because at M4.4 it falls below the magnitude 6.5 threshold that generally applies before a submarine earthquake displaces enough water to generate a damaging tsunami; its 289 km focal depth is too great to deform the sea floor significantly; it occurred inland rather than beneath the sea floor. For an active coastal alert, use tsunami.gov or your local warning authority.

How earthquakes generate tsunamis, and what the alert levels mean →

Aftershocks and local seismic history

1 further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event, the largest of them magnitude 4.8.

40 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 5.8 event near Pauanui on 05 May 2026. This M4.4 event released about 126 times less energy than that event.

No other earthquakes have been recorded within 100 km of this epicentre in the past year, which makes this a genuinely isolated event.

How long aftershock sequences last, and how large they get →

Where this event sits in the record

This earthquake is part of the December 2024 worldwide record, and of earthquakes in New Zealand during December 2024. Browse the full monthly archive to compare periods.

Nearest recorded earthquakes to this epicentre

Other recent earthquakes in New Zealand

All recorded earthquakes in New Zealand →

Other magnitude 4 earthquakes worldwide

All magnitude 4 earthquakes →

Questions about this earthquake

How strong was the earthquake near Pauanui?

It measured magnitude 4.4 — a light earthquake. A magnitude 4.4 earthquake radiates roughly 60 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

How deep was the earthquake near Pauanui?

The focus was 289 km below the surface, which counts as intermediate.

Was the Pauanui earthquake felt at the surface?

At magnitude 4.4 and a focal depth of 289 km, the depth spreads the energy out, so shaking is weaker overhead but reaches further.

When did the earthquake near Pauanui happen?

16 December 2024 at 22:18 UTC.

Was there a tsunami?

No. The USGS record carries no tsunami-information link for this event.

Have there been aftershocks?

1 further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event, the largest of them magnitude 4.8.

How often do earthquakes happen near Pauanui?

40 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 5.8 event near Pauanui on 05 May 2026. This M4.4 event released about 126 times less energy than that event.