Whakaari Volcano

Minor Earthquake swarm west of Tokaanu (Turangi)

Published: Fri Feb 17 2017 11:28 AM
News

Earthquake swarms are very common in the greater Rotorua-Taupo area, known as the Taupo Volcanic Zone.

Since around 6pm (Monday 13 February) the GeoNet seismometer network between Taupo and the Tongariro National Park has been recording a swarm of small earthquakes. They locate about 10 kilometres north west of Tokaanu. We have been able to locate 19 of the events so far. Their magnitudes ranged from about M 0.8 to M 1.7, while the depths ranged between 1 and 9 kilometres, with most being 3-5 kilometres deep. The quakes are likely to be related to the long-term tectonic stretching of the Taupo Volcanic Zone. Currently, there are no indications that the earthquakes are related to volcanic activity. As usual, we continue to closely monitor the activity. The largest event to date occurred at 10.04 pm on 16 February, being M1.7. There have been no felt reports. Swarms are often characterised by no one main or large event, with many of the events being about the same size. In 2008 there was a larger swarm in the same area, while in March 2015 there was one about 9 km to the north and another in October 2015 to the south.

Location of the earthquakes

Location of the earthquakes