Aotearoa NZ · Geophysical
NZ Earthquakes
ElevatedDamaging earthquakes across Aotearoa, which sits directly on the Pacific–Australian plate boundary.
- Likelihood
- Certain over any decade
- Impact
- Severe regionally; national economic shock
- Horizon
- Any moment
Reading live feed…
Background
What this actually is
New Zealand records around 20,000 earthquakes a year, of which roughly 150-200 are felt. The whole country is seismically active, but the hazard is not uniform — Wellington, Marlborough, the Alpine Fault corridor and Hawke's Bay carry the highest hazard, with Northland the lowest.
Christchurch 2011 showed the pattern: a moderate-magnitude but very shallow, very close event caused 185 deaths and roughly $40 billion in damage. Depth and proximity matter more than magnitude.
Kaikōura 2016 demonstrated cascading infrastructure failure — 25 faults ruptured together, road and rail were severed for months, and Wellington's port and several buildings were badly damaged 200 km away.
Aotearoa
What it means for New Zealand
The specific NZ vulnerabilities are unreinforced masonry in provincial towns, liquefaction-prone reclaimed land in Wellington, Christchurch and Napier, and single-route road and rail links that isolate whole regions. Wellington in particular has limited road access and a hospital and port both on reclaimed ground.
Watch for
Early warning signs
- There is no reliable short-term earthquake prediction — treat any claim otherwise as false
- Aftershock forecasts from GNS after a significant event are the one usable near-term signal
- Long or strong shaking near the coast means tsunami — evacuate immediately without waiting for an official warning
Action
How to prepare
- 01
Drop, Cover and Hold — most injuries come from falling objects, not collapse
- 02
Secure tall furniture, water cylinders and heavy items to walls
- 03
Store water: 3 litres per person per day for at least 7 days, and know where your street's alternative water source is
- 04
Keep sturdy shoes and a torch beside the bed
- 05
Check your insurance and the EQC/Toka Tū Ake cover limits
Go deeper
Where to find more information
In an emergency
New Zealand's official channels
- Get Ready — household preparedness
- Civil Defence / NEMA
- GeoNet — quakes, volcanoes, tsunami
- MetService severe weather warnings
In a life-threatening emergency call 111. RNZ National is New Zealand's designated lifeline broadcaster — keep a battery radio.
Connected
Related threats
Get prepared
Want to do something useful with this information?
Preparing.nz is a practical guide for New Zealanders who want to be ready for the unexpected — earthquakes, storms, power cuts, pandemics and more.