November 30, 2022 Earthquake: Taupo, New Zealand
A magnitude 5.3 earthquake struck Taupo, New Zealand on November 30, 2022 at 10:48:00 UTC, 5 km below the surface. It caused a tsunami.
Map
Where it struck, with the other significant earthquakes within 200 km. Circles are sized and colored by magnitude; select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Date
- November 30, 2022
- Time
- 10:48:00 UTC
- Place
- Taupo, New Zealand
- Magnitude
- 5.3 (Mw)
- Focal depth
- 5 km (3 mi)
- Intensity
- 8 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- Yes: the tsunami it caused
- Epicenter
- 38.810° S, 175.915° E
- Country
- New Zealand
The toll
- Damage
- Limited (under about $1 million)
- Houses damaged
- Few (about 1 to 50)
Where the literature gives no number, NCEI records a description on a scale of 1 to 4, printed here in its words. Damage is in millions of US dollars of the year of the event, not adjusted for inflation.
What the record says
NCEI’s account, from the sources it cites.
Ref #13392:
The M5.6 earthquake on 30 November was one of the largest recorded in Lake Taupo. Following that earthquake, there have been more than 600 aftershocks located by GeoNet. The number of aftershocks is typical following an earthquake of this size. Ground movement associated with the earthquake has been measured by our sensitive GNSS positioning instruments in and around Lake Taupo. The instrument at Horomatangi has shown 250 mm of horizontal movement (towards the south-east), which is the largest ever recorded ground movement at this location. GNSS stations onshore are recording a much smaller movement (~10 to 20 mm) associated with the earthquake. Further analysis of this data set is underway [...] The recorded ground deformation and earthquake activity is likely caused by magma and hydrothermal fluids deep beneath Taupo volcano. This period of unrest is one of at least 17 previous episodes at Taupo over the past 150 years.
Ref #13393:
Following the M5.7 Taupō earthquake we have located over 680 aftershocks (as of this story being published), with the most recent felt aftershock being a M3.4 on 12 December. The aftershock sequence (size of events and numbers) is as we would have expected for a mainshock of M5.7. Our instrument at Horomatangi reef (TGHO) moved 18 cm upwards during the earthquake and 25 cm to the southeast, which is the largest ever recorded ground movement at this location. The station has also shown what is called ‘post seismic deformation’; it moved a further 4 cm to the southeast in the week following the earthquake. GNSS stations onshore are recording a much smaller movement (~10 to 20 mm) associated with the earthquake.
Ref #13456:
Several homes damaged at Taupo. A small lake tsunami destroyed 2 boats, damaged wood bollards and eroded 2 m of shoreline at Four Mile Bay. More than 30 landslides occurred in the Hatepe area. Turangi, Waikato, New Zealand - CDI: 8; Taupo, Waikato, New Zealand - CDI: 7; Tokoroa, Waikato, New Zealand - CDI: 5; Rotorua, Bay of Plenty, New Zealand - CDI: 4; Hamilton, Waikato, New Zealand - CDI: 2
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- February 2, 1931, Hawke Bay, New Zealand
- July 18, 2004, Rotorua, Tauranga, North Island, New Zealand
- March 2, 1987, North Island, Whakatani, Edgecumbe, New Zealand
- August 18, 1895, Taupo, New Zealand
- March 2, 1956, North Island, New Zealand
- October 5, 1980, Gisborne, Hawera, Eastbourne, Napier, New Zealand
- February 21, 1973, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand
- February 13, 1931, Northern New Zealand
- February 19, 1931, Northern New Zealand
- August 25, 2008, North Island, New Zealand
- September 15, 1932, Gisborne, Wairoa, New Zealand
- July 8, 1843, Wanganui, New Zealand
- July 5, 1845, N. New Zealand
- February 11, 1855, New Zealand
- March 14, 1950, N. New Zealand
More
Significant earthquakes of 2022The 2000sEvery quake the USGS located in 2022Recent earthquakes near hereThis day in weather history
Sources
Significant earthquakes from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, Global Historical Hazard Database, cited as NCEI/WDS, doi:10.7289/V5PN93H7. Public domain. Read 2026-09-24. NCEI earthquake 10656.