New Zealand hit by earthquake anew: No connection to Japan quake

A fractured road caused by an earthquake stops vehicle access near the town of Ward, 70 kilometers south of Blenheim on New Zealand's South Island, November 14, 2016. Reuters/Anthony Phelps

New Zealand has once again been struck by an earthquake. Although the 5.6 magnitude quake came hours after the 6.9 magnitude that hit Japan on Tuesday, there was no proof that one event triggered the other.

The quake was first reported as magnitude 6.3 but was later downgraded to 5.6. It was centred about 200 kilometres northeast of Wellington at a depth of 10 kilometres. There was no tsunami warning issued. There were also no reports of damage or injuries.

The Tuesday NZ quake came just hours after Japan was hit by an earthquake that triggered a tsunami warning at 6 a.m. local time. The temblor was first announced as magnitude 7,3 but was later downgraded to 6.9. A two-foot tsunami at the Onahoma Port in Fukushima and a three-foot tsunami in Soma were reported seen later. Residents in the nearby coastal areas were advised to reach higher grounds.

No connection between NZ and Japan earthquakes

Although both events happened on Tuesday and on the edge of the Pacific plate, there is no connection between the two, according to Geoscience Australia senior seismologist Hugh Glanville.

“They are so far apart. It’s not a case of one earthquake triggering the other one,” Glanville told AAP. “There’s a bit of coincidence at play.

He added that the Kiwi quake was not an aftershock from the 7.5 magnitude that hit the country’s South Island last week. The more recent one struck farther north along a new section of moving fault.

“It’s not an aftershock. It’s a new earthquake,” he said.

The New Zealand 7.5 magnitude earthquake last week was less destructive than the 6.2 magnitude Christchurch earthquake in 2011. However, it prompted a tsunami warning and had killed two people. Some people recorded flashing lights in the sky during the earthquake, which was popularly believed to have been caused by electrical properties of rocks.

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