M 5.6 Earthquake 14 km S of Hicks Bay, New Zealand
Areazine synthesizes this USGS earthquake report directly from USGS's official public data feed. See our methodology for full source attribution and refresh cadence.
A magnitude 5.6 earthquake occurred 14 km south of Hicks Bay, New Zealand, at a depth of 52.8 km.
What this USGS earthquake report tells you, and what most readers miss
This notice was issued by USGS on August 12, 2026 and geographically references New Zealand. Its severity classification of "medium" signals how the issuing agency weighs the risk of harm if no action is taken - "critical" and "high" tier alerts typically carry direct consumer actions, while "medium" and "low" tend toward informational guidance or monitoring advisories. The category it belongs to - Earthquakes - determines the monitoring protocol behind it, which shapes what follow-up action (checking for structural damage, watching for aftershocks, reviewing local building codes) is relevant and which agency holds authority over the assessment.
Most readers skim a notice like this, check whether they are personally affected, and move on. The more useful lens is to verify its scope, source, and timestamp, then compare related notices without assuming that one record proves a broader trend.
Areazine pairs this record with the original agency URL so you can check the primary source before acting. Its related labels are earthquake, seismic, usgs, New Zealand.
What Happened
A M 5.6 mww earthquake struck 14 km S of Hicks Bay, New Zealand, on 2026-07-02 at 12:35:27 UTC (1785659727066). The event was recorded at latitude -37.73, longitude 178.3287, with a depth of 52.806 km. This depth classifies as intermediate (20-70 km).
Location Details
The epicenter was located 14 km south of Hicks Bay, New Zealand, at coordinates -37.73, 178.3287. The intermediate depth indicates the quake occurred below the shallow crust.
Impact Assessment
The earthquake was felt by 10 people, with a maximum reported intensity (CDI) of 4.2 and MMI of 4.383. No tsunami was generated (tsunami: 0). The alert level is green.
What You Should Know
Earthquakes of this magnitude are classified as moderate and can cause damage to poorly constructed buildings. Residents should be prepared for possible aftershocks and follow standard safety procedures.
Source
Original source: USGS Official Notice ↗
Related Earthquakes
All Earthquakes →Nationwide notices with similar length or severity timing 8
Two Areazine-derived peer sets for this USGS earthquake report: nearest notices by body length and by same severity near the same agency date. Peers come from other categories so they are not the same-feed Related list above.
Similar body length
Nearest notices by article body length (974 characters here).
Similar severity timing
Same severity (medium) notices issued closest in time to August 12, 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this USGS earthquake report.