M8.1 Tsunami

2021 New Zealand Earthquake

Kermadec Islands, New Zealand — March 4, 2021

The 2021 Kermadec Islands earthquake triggered a tsunami warning for New Zealand and prompted evacuations in coastal areas. It occurred in one of the world's most seismically active subduction zones and followed a M7.4 earthquake by only two hours.

Earthquake Facts

Magnitude

M8.1

Date

Mar 4, 2021

Depth

28.93 km

Latitude

-29.723°

Longitude

-177.279°

Tsunami

Yes

Region

New Zealand

Tectonic Cause

Subduction of the Pacific Plate beneath the Indo-Australian Plate along the Kermadec Trench, one of the deepest ocean trenches on Earth.

Aftermath in Pictures

Photos from Wikimedia Commons — open licenses (CC / Public Domain)

Images sourced from Wikimedia Commons under open licenses. Attribution required where specified. Click any image to enlarge.

Sources & Further Reading

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