Wairarapa still trembling after quake

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A light tremor rumbled near Pongaroa yesterday at the same place a magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck early last week.

According to GeoNet, the latest shake was a magnitude 3.2 quake that struck about 15km east of Pongaroa at 8.37am.

The tremor was recorded at a depth of 22km and was of light intensity.

Aftershocks were last week rolling through Wairarapa on the heels of the severe intensity earthquake, which struck at a depth of 24km about 15km east of Pongaroa just after 9pm on Monday a week ago, according to GeoNet.

There had been four smaller quakes or "foreshocks" earlier that Monday and more than 10 quakes in the two days afterwards, of up to moderate intensity, centred near the same location as the largest tremor, GeoNet scientist Caroline Little said.

GeoNet had expected, with a 99 per cent probability, aftershocks within a month of lesser magnitudes than the severe shake that will decrease in frequency over time, although there was up to a 15 per cent probability of an earthquake equal to or larger than magnitude 5.8.

Another large quake may be on a previously unknown fault in either the Pacific or Australian plates, or it may be on the plate interface, according to the GeoNet website.

An earthquake on the plate interface of greater than magnitude 7 was extremely unlikely. the website continues, "however, as with many places in New Zealand, an earthquake of this size can occur at any time".

The chances of an earthquake of magnitude 7 or greater had been "temporarily increased" by the severe Pongaroa tremor last week, according to GeoNet.