A Moderate Earthquake Shakes Bay Of Plenty With No Impact Felt: Latest Travel Safety Update

Saturday, July 19, 2025

The earthquake struck nan Bay of Plenty region connected Saturday afternoon, 19 July 2025, astatine 6:42 PM NZST (06:42 AM UTC). The 4.2 quake was 920 kilometres north­east of Whakatane, a beachside municipality little than 50 miles north­east of nan Taupō Volcanic Zone. Although mean successful size, it caused nary harm and was not felt successful nan area. The nuke was 300 km deep, corresponding to nan truth it was hardly felt astatine nan surface.

Seismotectonics of nan Bay of Plenty

New Zealand sits connected nan Pacific Ring of Fire, which is seismically active. The geological history of nan country’s Bay of Plenty area is still active, consisting of quakes related to nan plates of nan Pacific and Indo-Australian ones. It’s a seismically progressive place: complete nan years it has knowledgeable dozens—some causing superior harm of earthquakes, including a heavy 1 connected July 19 that mightiness not person been felt.

The July 19 tremor was 300 kilometres (186 miles) beneath Earth’s aboveground and what’s called a “deep earthquake.” Deep earthquakes, which are overmuch farther from nan aboveground of nan earth, are little apt to beryllium felt by people, he said, because nan power dissipates into nan assemblage of nan world and doesn’t scope nan surface. Shallow (less than 70 kilometres deep) events mostly shingle nan crushed to a greater grade by comparison.

The Science Behind Deep Earthquakes

The extent of an earthquake besides plays a important domiciled successful really damaging it is connected nan Earth’s surface. Shallow earthquakes tin besides acquisition convulsive felt intensities, and terrible harm occurs, particularly successful municipality and densely populated areas. But deeper quakes for illustration nan 1 successful nan Bay of Plenty shingle complete a constricted radius or, successful immoderate cases, not astatine all, depending connected nan extent and magnitude.

That 4.2 wasn’t precisely rocking nan seismograph and was reasonably heavy successful nan crust, truthful shockwaves would person had much to dampen earlier reaching nan aboveground and being reported successful nan region, but it could surely beryllium imaginable pinch an intraplate event. Felt lightly astatine nan vicinity of nan epicentre and was a III connected nan MMI scale. While nan earthquakes are mostly not felt, they are scientifically valuable because they let scientists to spot what nan planet’s interior is up to.

GeoNet and NZ Seismograph Network

GeoNet, which provides official, real-time accusation connected geological hazards, was among nan first to study nan quake. “But New Zealand is simply a state that’s accustomed to emotion earthquakes—and we heavy usage nan precocious monitoring devices that we person disposable successful position of being capable to update nan nationalist astir a swarm and what nan consequence mightiness be.” A web of satellite-based systems and different geological instruments, nan strategy allows for real-time monitoring of earthquakes and different earthy hazards.

Public GeoNet accusation is required successful bid to measure nan threat level of nan quake, nan likelihood of aftershocks, and moreover to beryllium warned whether different earthquakes are likely. The strategy is simply a cardinal instrumentality for nationalist emergency consequence readying and preparation.

The improvement of caller earthquake-monitoring exertion is making New Zealand amended prepared to look earthquakes. Still, residents and visitors should ever beryllium fresh for an earthquake and enactment informed, peculiarly successful a state that is arsenic regularly rattled by nan shaking arsenic is Japan.

Earthquake Preparedness successful New Zealand

Deep quakes for illustration Wednesday’s are often not dangerous, but New Zealand continues to beryllium among nan astir seismologically progressive places connected earth. Its authorities and its group are arguably among nan astir prepared successful nan world to header pinch earthquakes. There is this large point of speech and mentation astir things for illustration emergency kits successful schools, successful businesses, and successful homes, and really tin you person group physically capable to hole for thing that nan shingle is not it?

Seismic consequence is simply a precocious privilege beyond authorities readiness. Residents must return typical precautions successful high-risk earthquake areas to person emergency supplies ready, person an emergency scheme successful place, and bolt their furnishings and different ample items to nan walls aliases floors of nan dwelling.

GeoNet besides advised members of nan nationalist to support an oculus retired for quake warnings and beryllium alert they tin beryllium followed by aftershocks aft a large jolt. And, of course, if you ever scheme connected going to New Zealand again, you’ll request to cognize nan information measures yourself truthful you guidelines a amended chance nan adjacent clip you’re astir erstwhile 1 is successful your neighbourhood.

The Taupō Volcanic Zone and Earthquakes

The Bay of Plenty covers New Zealand’s fifth-most-seismically-active region, and location tin beryllium much than 100 moderate-to-strong earthquakes centred wrong this area each year. It runs from nan municipality of Rotorua, eastbound of nan North Island, and some progressive volcanoes and responsibility lines dishonesty beneath nan range—resulting successful predominant earthquakes. The area has had shallow and heavy earthquakes and different seismic events, which some—but not all—have group disconnected volcanic activity aliases landslides. July 19. This was not a volcanic quake but a tectonic one, caused by nan grinding action betwixt nan Pacific and Indo-Australian Plates.

Though infrequent, nan area has progressive volcanoes and keeps an oculus connected volcanic activity: hundreds of responsibility lines crisscross nan region, and basking springs tin still beryllium recovered location arsenic a consequence of nan tectonic activity that is still taking place. The Government of New Zealand still costs investigation and monitoring successful an effort to further comprehend nan seismic hazards successful nan region and amended hole residents and tourists.

Conclusions: Earthquakes successful New Zealand’s Ecosystem

Anything to thief group debar being killed (or having property, which Kiwi spot decidedly has a increasing worth cough, destroyed), and for Kiwis (or visitors) to unrecorded successful (or visit) New Zealand, but to beryllium alert of monitoring from nan applicable subject and while , a shout-out to nan monitoring going connected via GeoNet arsenic a objection of that subject input is good. A quake that is still happening doesn’t do a batch of harm but is evidently a denotation of ongoing seismic activity. The continuing existent earthquake is not causing damage, but it is that this existent seismic activity is comparatively beardown for nan zone.

Source: www.volcanodiscovery.com