NZ Islands Hit by Magnitude 6 Quake; No Tsunami Detected

October 17, 2005
The Hindu

Wellington, Oct. 17 (AP): A strong earthquake struck today near the Auckland Islands south of New Zealand, seismologists said. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.

The Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences said the magnitude-6.0 quake struck at 8:12 p.m. local time in the Auckland Islands, about 350 kilometers to the south of New Zealand's South Island.

No tsunami warning was issued.

The institute said the tremblor hit 170 kilometers northwest of the Auckland Islands and was centered at a depth of 33 kilometers below the seabed.

New Zealand sits astride the collision zone for Pacific and Australian tectonic plates, which form the Earth's crust. Some 14,000 quakes strike the region each year, but only about 150 are strong enough to be felt by residents and about 10 cause damage.

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/recenteqsww/Quakes/usehaj.htm