New Zealand: 7.1 magnitude earthquake rocks Kermadec Islands
A strong earthquake measuring 7.1 on the Richter scale rocked the Kermadec Islands in the north of New Zealand on Thursday, reported Reuters. As per the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the shallow earthquake was estimated at a depth of 10 kilometer. Following that, the US Tsunami Warning System issued a tsunami warning for nearby uninhabited islands within a 300-kilometer radius.
Why does this story matter?
New Zealand is highly prone to quakes since it is situated on the border of two major tectonic plates in the world, the Australian Plate and the Pacific Plate. Furthermore, it is on the rim of the Ring of Fire, an area of intense seismic activity. Notably, this quake comes just a few weeks after a series of earthquakes ravaged Turkey and Syria.
New Zealand's national emergency agency's post
Tsunami warning updates after Thursday's quake
Meanwhile, the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) Australia revealed that there has been no destruction in Australia due to Thursday's quake in the Kermadec Islands. However, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) stated that a destructive local tsunami might occur near the epicenter, but the quake currently poses no major tsunami risks to the island nation of Japan.
Twitter post by BOM, Australia
6.9 magnitude quake rocked Kermadec Islands earlier this month
Notably, the jolts on Thursday morning marked the second high-magnitude earthquake to rock the Kermadec Islands this month. Earlier on March 4, a 6.9 magnitude quake hit New Zealand's northeast region. According to the country's GeoNet, the earthquake struck 925 km northeast of Whangarei at 7:41 pm (local time) at a depth of 214 km.
Over 500 Kiwis felt the jolts
As per media reports, the tremor was felt by more than 500 Kiwis as it mainly rocked the east coast of the North Island. According to GeoNet, the jolts were "unnoticeable," and the vast majority of people who felt them said they were "weak" and "light." No tsunami warnings were issued after the 6.9 magnitude earthquake as well.
Aftermath of Turkey-Syria quakes
Last month on February 6, Syria and Turkey were struck by a powerful earthquake of 7.8 magnitude, followed by several more quakes and hundreds of aftershocks. According to media reports, over 50,000 people lost their lives in the disaster, which damaged or destroyed over 160,000 buildings in Turkey, including 520,000 apartments.
