Mag 5.3 Earthquake Rattles North Island, NZ

Magnitude 5.3 Earthquake strikes off east Coast North Island, NZ – Many more quakes are expected in the region

A Magnitude 8+ Earthquake could strike Kermadec trench before the year’s end!

Latest EQ NZ: Magnitude 5.3 – OFF EAST COAST OF THE NORTH ISLAND, N.Z.

Magnitude: 5.3
Date-Time: Wednesday, December 17, 2008 at 20:34:00 UTC
Location: 36.944°S, 177.325°E
Depth: 114.8 km (71.3 miles)
Region: OFF EAST COAST OF THE NORTH ISLAND, N.Z.
Distances:

• 160 km (100 miles) NE of Rotorua, New Zealand
• 200 km (125 miles) NNW of Gisborne, New Zealand
• 230 km (140 miles) E of Auckland, New Zealand
• 530 km (330 miles) NNE of WELLINGTON, New Zealand

Location Uncertainty: horizontal +/- 53 km (32.9 miles); depth +/- 18.4 km (11.4 miles)
Source: USGS NEIC (WDCS-D)
Event ID: us2008asbf

New Zealand’s Alpine Fault – Source: Stuff NZ. Image may be subject to copyright.

Related Links:

• Earthquake Cluster Zone Closing in on New Zealand
• Magnitude 7 Earthquake Hits Kermadec Islands
• Magnitude 6.8 Quake strikes Kermadec Isls Region
• Earthquakes [Links]
• Mt Ruapehu Eruption Alert

Earthquake Forecast 2009

Earthquake Forecast 2009 – country in focus: Japan

2009 Earthquake Forecast by FEWW / CASF – Release Date: December 18, 2008. [All data are subject to updates and changes.]

Historic Japan earthquakes: 2008 [as of  December 18, 2008]

See Also:

• Magnitude MW 5.7 Quake Hits Southern Alaska [Anchorage Quake Forecast]
  
• 2009 US Quake Forecast
• Earthquakes [Links Page]

[Earthquakes of magnitude 6.5 or greater or ones that caused fatalities, injuries or substantial damage. Source: Data Compiled by Pamela J. Benfield and NEIC Operations Staff.]

• 2008 09 11 – Hokkaido, Japan region – M 6.8
  
• 2008 07 23 – Eastern Honshu, Japan – M 6.8 Fatalities 1
• 2008 07 19 – Off the East Coast of Honshu, Japan – M 7.0

• 2008 07 05 – Sea of Okhotsk – M 7.7
• 2008 06 13 – Eastern Honshu, Japan – M 6.9 Fatalities 13
• 2008 05 07 – Near the East Coast of Honshu, Japan – M 6.8

Historic japan earthquake: 2007

• 2007 07 16 – Sea of Japan – M 6.8
• 2007 07 16 – Near the west coast of Honshu, Japan – M 6.6 Fatalities 9
• 2007 03 25 – Near the West Coast of Honshu,Japan – M 6.7 Fatalities 1

Earthquake Density Map of Japan [USGS]

Seismicity Map

Credit: USGS

Seismic Hazard Map of Japan

Credit: USGS

Notable Earthquakes in Japan [USGS]

• 1891 10 27 – Mino-Owari, Japan – M 8.0 Fatalities 7,273
• 1896 06 15 – Sanriku, Japan – M 8.5 Fatalities 27,000
• 1923 09 01 – Kanto (Kwanto), Japan – M 7.9 Fatalities 143,000
• 1927 03 07 – Tango, Japan – M 7.6 Fatalities 3,020
• 1933 03 02 – Sanriku, Japan – M 8.4 Fatalities 2,990
• 1943 09 10 – Tottori, Japan – M 7.4 Fatalities 1,190
• 1944 12 07 – Tonankai, Japan – M 8.1 Fatalities 998
• 1945 01 12 – Mikawa, Japan – M 7.1 Fatalities 1,961
• 1946 12 20 – Nankaido, Japan – M 8.1 Fatalities 1,330
• 1948 06 28 – Fukui, Japan – M 7.3 Fatalities 3,769
• 1964 06 16 – Niigata, Japan – M 7.5 Fatalities 26
• 1995 01 16 – Kobe, Japan – M 6.9 Fatalities 5,502
• 2000 10 06 – Western Honshu, Japan – M 6.7
• 2003 05 26 – Near the East Coast of Honshu, Japan – M 7.0
• 2003 09 25 – Hokkaido, Japan Region – M 8.3
• 2003 10 08 – Hokkaido, Japan Region – M 6.7
• 2003 10 31 – Off the East Coast of Honshu, Japan – M 7.0
• 2004 05 29 – Off the East Coast of Honshu, Japan – M 6.5
• 2004 09 05 – Near the South Coast of Western Honshu, Japan – M 7.2
• 2004 09 05 – Near the South Coast of Honshu, Japan – M 7.4
• 2004 09 06 – Near the South Coast of Honshu, Japan – M 6.6
• 2004 10 23 – Near the West Coast of Honshu, Japan – M 6.6 Fatalities 40
• 2004 11 28 – Hokkaido, Japan Region – M 7.0
• 2004 12 06 – Hokkaido, Japan Region – M 6.8
• 2005 03 20 – Kyushu, Japan – M 6.6 Fatalities 1
• 2005 07 23 – Near the South Coast of Honshu, Japan – M 5.9
• 2005 08 16 – Near the East Coast of Honshu, Japan – M 7.2
• 2005 10 19 – Near the East Coast of Honshu, Japan – M 6.3
• 2005 11 14 – Off the East Coast of Honshu, Japan – M 7.0
• 2005 12 02 – Near the East Coast of Honshu, Japan – M 6.5
• 2006 06 11 – Kyushu, Japan – M 6.3
• 2007 03 25 – Near the West Coast of Honshu,Japan – M 6.7 Fatalities 1
• 2007 07 16 – Near the west coast of Honshu, Japan – M 6.6 Fatalities 9
• 2008 05 07 – Near the East Coast of Honshu, Japan – M 6.8
• 2008 06 13 – Eastern Honshu, Japan – M 6.9 Fatalities 13
• 2008 07 23 – Eastern Honshu, Japan – M 6.8 Fatalities 1
• 2008 09 11 – Hokkaido, Japan region – M 6.8

Source: USGS

Source: USGS

Related Links:

• Magnitude MW 5.7 Quake Hits Southern Alaska
• 2009 US Quake Forecast
• Earthquakes [Links Page]