Jan 20 2012 - Southland Quakes
The lower South Island was last night shaken by three earthquakes over magnitude 5, all located about 190 km south-west of Tuatapere.
Map showing location of the three quakes
The first event was a magnitude 5.8 and was felt by over 500 people across the lower South Island, these were followed by a number of aftershocks ranging from M3 to M4.8 - none of which were felt.
These earthquakes occurred just south of the aftershock zone of the July 2009 'Dusky Sound’ M7.8 earthquake which was located 100 km north-west of Tuatapere.
Historically the south-western corner of the South Island has been one of the most seismically active regions in New Zealand, and these earthquakes continue this trend.
