Earthquake Facts and Statistics
The GeoNet project locates between 50 and 80 earthquakes each day, or about 15,000 a year. The following statistics on the frequency and magnitude of New Zealand region earthquakes are based on observations since 1960. Statistical analysis was restricted to earthquakes with a magnitude greater than or equal to 4.0, as the geometry of the recording networks in the earlier years was not capable of detecting every earthquake lower than this magnitude.
| Frequency of Occurrence of Earthquakes (since 1960) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Magnitude | Annual Average | "Rule of Thumb" |
| 4.0-4.9 | 334 | 1 per day |
| 5.0-5.9 | 26 | 2 per month |
| 6.0-6.9 | 2 | 2 per year |
| 7.0-7.9 | 1 | 1 per 3 years |
| 8.0 or over | - | 1 per century* |
| * Based on geological investigations and historical record of earthquakes | ||
| The US Geological Survey (USGS) Earthquake Hazards Program displays Worldwide Earthquake Facts and Statistics, located by the USGS National Earthquake Information Center (NEIC). This includes a table illustrating the relationship between changing magnitude, and ground motion and energy. | ||
Number of earthquakes in the New Zealand region by magnitude range from 1960-2010.
| Number of Earthquakes in the New Zealand Region from 1960 to 2010 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year |
Magnitude |
Magnitude |
Magnitude |
Magnitude |
Magnitude | Annual Total |
| 1960 | 213 | 31 | 3 | - | - | 247 |
| 1961 | 124 | 16 | 3 | - | - | 143 |
| 1962 | 164 | 16 | - | - | - | 180 |
| 1963 | 144 | 6 | 1 | - | - | 151 |
| 1964 | 168 | 12 | 2 | - | - | 182 |
| 1965 | 144 | 14 | 4 | - | - | 162 |
| 1966 | 162 | 16 | - | - | - | 178 |
| 1967 | 170 | 13 | - | - | - | 183 |
| 1968 | 420 | 35 | 1 | 1 | - | 457 |
| 1969 | 284 | 10 | 1 | - | - | 295 |
| 1970 | 263 | 17 | 2 | - | - | 282 |
| 1971 | 192 | 19 | 1 | - | - | 212 |
| 1972 | 174 | 16 | - | - | - | 190 |
| 1973 | 229 | 21 | - | 1 | - | 251 |
| 1974 | 311 | 27 | 1 | - | - | 339 |
| 1975 | 230 | 23 | - | - | - | 253 |
| 1976 | 325 | 27 | 3 | - | - | 355 |
| 1977 | 246 | 23 | 3 | 1 | - | 273 |
| 1978 | 207 | 6 | - | - | - | 213 |
| 1979 | 292 | 28 | 2 | - | - | 322 |
| 1980 | 212 | 20 | - | - | - | 232 |
| 1981 | 248 | 18 | 1 | - | - | 267 |
| 1982 | 261 | 14 | 1 | - | - | 276 |
| 1983 | 252 | 15 | - | 1 | - | 268 |
| 1984 | 507 | 45 | 2 | - | - | 554 |
| 1985 | 614 | 50 | 3 | - | - | 667 |
| 1986 | 245 | 17 | 2 | - | - | 264 |
| 1987 | 341 | 32 | 2 | - | - | 375 |
| 1988 | 332 | 41 | 2 | - | - | 375 |
| 1989 | 303 | 11 | 4 | - | - | 318 |
| 1990 | 344 | 20 | 4 | 1 | - | 369 |
| 1991 | 335 | 19 | 6 | - | - | 360 |
| 1992 | 414 | 22 | 4 | 1 | - | 441 |
| 1993 | 539 | 37 | 5 | - | - | 581 |
| 1994 | 564 | 42 | 4 | - | - | 610 |
| 1995 | 1,178 | 107 | 7 | - | - | 1,292 |
| 1996 | 338 | 21 | 2 | 1 | - | 362 |
| 1997 | 531 | 36 | 1 | 2 | - | 570 |
| 1998 | 413 | 21 | 1 | 1 | - | 436 |
| 1999 | 357 | 29 | 2 | 1 | - | 389 |
| 2000 | 352 | 20 | 2 | 2 | - | 376 |
| 2001 | 825 | 37 | 3 | 2 | - | 867 |
| 2002 | 357 | 22 | - | - | - | 379 |
| 2003 | 542 | 39 | 3 | 1 | - | 585 |
| 2004 | 268 | 13 | - | 1 | - | 282 |
| 2005 | 252 | 21 | 1 | - | - | 274 |
| 2006 | 232 | 22 | - | 1 | - | 255 |
| 2007 | 259 | 23 | 3 | 1 | - | 286 |
| 2008 | 252 | 25 | 2 | - | - | 279 |
| 2009 | 545 | 69 | 4 | 1 | - | 619 |
| 2010 | 380 | 39 | 2 | 1 | - | 422 |
| Total | 17,054 | 1,323 | 100 | 21 | - | 18,498 |
