A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck in Kermadec Islands region, located north of New Zealand, on Thursday morning, according to a USGS statement. The tremors were felt around 7:38 AM (local time), according to media reports.
The quake was at a depth of 10 km. Hazardous tsunami waves are possible for coasts located within 300 kilometers of the epicenter, the agency says in a separate statement.
There is no tsunami threat to Australia, the country’s Bureau of Meteorology said in a tweet.
New Zealand sits on the meeting point of two major tectonic plates - the Pacific and Australian - making it even more susceptible to earthquakes and volcanic activities. The danger earthquakes and erupting volcanoes is not evenly spread across the nation though. Areas around Wellington are most prone to seismic disruptions to normal life while the areas around Auckland is least disturbed by these natural forces.
