7.2-magnitude quake hits near New Zealand

[webfact]

Quakes hits near New Zealand; no immediate reports of damage
By Mariano Castillo, CNN

(CNN) -- A trio of earthquakes struck in the South Pacific Ocean Tuesday morning southeast of Raoul Island, New Zealand, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

There were no immediate reports of damage.

Two quakes, with magnitudes of 6.9 and 6.3, hit within minutes of each other, according to USGS data. The larger of the two was originally reported by the USGS to be a 7.2-magnitude, but that measure was later downgraded to 6.9.
A third, 6.2-magnitude quake struck about 45 minutes later.

Full story: http://edition.cnn.com/2014/06/23/world/asia/new-zealand-earthquake/index.html


-- CNN 2014-06-24

[shirtless]

New Zealand seems very unlucky, lets hope they are ok.

[Chao Lao Beach]

Good luck Kiwi

[lee b]

Far too many natural disasters in the world now. Being in a quake is horrible, hope everyone is ok. Where is going to be next?????

[SamuiRes]

Just to put this in perspective - quite a distance from NZ - in the ocean.

No reports of any potential tsunami so far.

[soalbundy]

That will upset the turtles

[SaintLouisBlues]

Far too many natural disasters in the world now. Being in a quake is horrible, hope everyone is ok. Where is going to be next?????

Surely someone could be promoting International Happiness by banning earthquakes? In fact the really big earthquake, like San Francisco's next big earthquake already overdue, will hit the NZ capital Wellington.

[soalbundy]

Far too many natural disasters in the world now. Being in a quake is horrible, hope everyone is ok. Where is going to be next?????

Surely someone could be promoting International Happiness by banning earthquakes? In fact the really big earthquake, like San Francisco's next big earthquake already overdue, will hit the NZ capital Wellington.

I wonder who will get the film rights to that

[Robby nz]

From my son on the East Coast of the North Island :

Never felt a thing and no damage anywhere.

As already posted Rauol Island which is part of the Kermadec group is a long way from Mainland NZ.

There are research stations and a few people on the Island, whether they were affected we wait to hear.

[rijb]

Glad your family is ok.

What the hell is going on with all these earthquakes?

[SOTIRIOS]

....and 20 more off Alaska today alone....including an 8.0......

http://earthquakestoday.info/

...lucky there were no tsunamis....yet.......

(...remember the psychic that gave around today's date for earthquakes and tsunamis that will submerge the Thai peninsula...???)

[folium]

Far too many natural disasters in the world now. Being in a quake is horrible, hope everyone is ok. Where is going to be next?????

There are no more earthquakes today than previously. While there are several million a year, the vast majority are so small and/or deep that they are only picked up by the increasing number and sophistication of seismometers installed worldwide.

The "where" re the next earthquake is, ironically, the easiest thing to guess. Their distribution is largely non-random and the vast majority (especially larger ones) occur along plate boundaries. Very active plate boundary areas (eg the "Pacific Ring of Fire") have a disproportionate number...some 80% of all large quakes.

So where will the next 6.0 magnitude quake be?..probably on a plate boundary on the edge of the Pacific Ocean.

The problem is that the other two legs of quake prediction are far harder, namely when and how great? If you can accurately and repeatedly identify all three elements you will be the world's first trillionaire. But it's not called the Bruce Almighty Challenge for nothing; so unless you have divine powers...