A major earthquake has hit the island nation of New Zealand today.
EARTHQUAKE of 7.1 magnitude hit the Kermadec Islands of New Zealand on Thursday, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) said. A tsunami warning was issued by the US Tsunami Warning System, in the wake of the earthquake. However, New Zealand’s National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) later tweeted to clarify that there is no threat of tusnami to the nation.
“Remember, if an earthquake is long or strong, get gone,” NEMA said in the tweet.
There is no tsunami threat to New Zealand following the M7.0 earthquake in the Southern Kermadec Islands.
Remember, if an earthquake is long or strong, get gone.
For more info about tsunami preparedness go to https://t.co/Gn7YO8831i
The tremors are estimated to have originated 10 KM below thr surface level, USGS added, according to Reuters. Earlier this month, the same region was hit by a 6.9 magnitude earthquake that had originated 183 KM below the surface level. At the time tsunami warning was issued by the US’ warning system.
Notable quake, preliminary info: M 7.1 – Kermadec Islands region https://t.co/wWnuW9x2cO
The island nation of New Zealand is situated in the “Ring of Fire”, a 40,000KM stretch that has 452 active volcanoes, according to the National Geographic Society. This “ring” stretches from the Southern tip of South America, goes through the Western coast of North America, passes most East and South Asian countries to end at New Zealand.
The geogrpahy of the region makes it prone to earthquakes. The Phillipine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology has confirmed that there is no threat to Phillipine after the quake hit New Zealand.
However, experts – cited by United Kingdom based Mirror – believe that an earthquake of this magnitude can affect coastal areas in a 300KM rangeof the epicentre. The tremors were felt around 7:38 AM (local time), according to media reports.
New Zealand sits on the meeting point of two major tectonic plates – the Pacific and Australian – making it even more susceptible to earthquakes and volcanic activities. The danger earthquakes and erupting volcanoes is not evenly spread across the nation though. Areas around Wellington are most prone to seismic disruptions to normal life while the areas around Auckland is least disturbed by these natural forces.
(With agency inputs)
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