Shallow quakes typical for region

Brad Scott

Rotorua was rattled by at least 11 small earthquakes on Friday night in what experts say is not uncommon for the Taupo Volcanic Zone.

The 11 recorded quakes were rated by GNS Science as either "light" or "weak" and happened between 6.57pm and 9.06pm.

The first was a magnitude-2.3 quake at a depth of 8km and was centred within 5km of Rotorua.

The second was at 7.11pm and was a magnitude-2.1 tremor 7km deep, also centred within 5km of Rotorua.

There was a third at 7.20pm, it was 2.1 and at a depth of 10km.

A fourth, recorded at 7.25pm, was classified as light intensity at 2.8 magnitude and 9km deep.

The earthquakes went on into the night, the largest being one of 2.8 magnitude recorded at 7.56pm. Another six ranged in intensity from 1.8 to 2.4 with the latest one at 9.06pm.

All were centred within 5km of Rotorua, with a couple centred 5km east of Rotorua.

No reports of damage were recorded.

According to the Rotorua Daily Post Facebook page most of the quakes were felt on the east side of the city, some people posting they had felt them in Welcome Bay, Tauranga.

Some of the larger ones were felt right across the city.

But the swarm did leave a lot of people shaken up and worried there could be more.

According to information on the GNS website swarms of small earthquakes are not uncommon in the Taupo Volcanic Zone, of which Rotorua is a part.

In August last year, volcanologist Brad Scott said swarms of small quakes were reasonably common.

"Most locate at moderate depths beneath the the city," he said. "This is very typical of Rotorua earthquakes to be three-10km deep.

"The earthquakes are small and will not have done any damage."