Latest fromEarthquakes

Fukushima battles food fear factor
Government ministers, foreign press and ambassadors including New Zealand's Mark Sinclair are sitting in a glitzy conference room in downtown Tokyo, looking at stunning photographs on powerpoint of a....

White Island quake unrelated to volcano
A 4.8 earthquake recorded 110km north of White Island this morning was not related to any volcanic activity on the island.

Earthquake shakes White Island overnight
A magnitude 4.7 quake shook a spot 110 kilometres north of White Island around 11.25pm, GeoNet said, at a depth of 25km.

Public event honours quake dead
Hundreds gathered in Christchurch's Botanic Gardens yesterday for a public memorial service to mark the fourth anniversary of the Canterbury earthquakes.

IAG profits soar on settled seismic activity
New Zealand profit from the country's biggest general insurer, Insurance Australia Group, rose from $92 million to $193 million.

Lloyd's pays out $4.2b for NZ quakes
Global insurance giant Lloyd's has paid out $4.2 billion for the Canterbury earthquakes, expects to pay a further $1.6 billion and remains committed to New Zealand.

Disaster insurance 'flawed'
New Zealand's dual insurance system has been deemed inefficient by a leading insurance company, following the Canterbury earthquakes.

5.2 magnitude quake rattles Queensland
An earthquake has rattled residents in the small Queensland town of Eidsvold, with tremors also felt in Brisbane, 430km to the south.

Insurers settle 57 per cent of Christchurch quake claims
Four years on, private insurers say they have settled 57 per cent of residential insurance claims over the Earthquake Commission’s $100,000 “cap”.

What lies beneath: Kiwis reveal secrets
In a major breakthrough, Kiwi scientists have helped reveal the clearest picture yet of what happens deep under the Earth, transforming understanding of tectonic plates.

EQC review creates headache for insurers
The government review of the Earthquake Commission's funding and policy structures is leaving global reinsurers uncertain as they try to assess the risk profile posed by natural disasters in New....

Eco-home tested in disaster-prone area
Vo Van Duong's bamboo and coconut leaf house looks much like others deep in Vietnam's Mekong Delta.

Scientists hope seabed drill will unlock quake secrets
Scientists hope a proposal to drill the seabed off New Zealand's east coast will unlock the secrets behind earthquakes, such as one which wreaked havoc in Japan six years ago.

Quakes rattle Southland, Masterton
Both the North and South Islands have had a shaky start to the day, with a moderate quake in Southland and two light ones near Masterton.

Damage ends drill probe into quake peril
A state-of-the-art laboratory near Franz Josef Glacier is being packed up after an ambitious drilling operation came to a premature end before scientists could bore through the high-risk Alpine Fault.

Quake could increase pressure on fault
Scientists say a magnitude 6 earthquake centred near Arthur’s Pass yesterday may have increased pressure on parts of the Alpine Fault.

Swarm of aftershocks follow quake
Aftershocks are continuing to hit the West Coast and Canterbury after a major quake rocked the central South Island yesterday.

South Island quake: Claims lodged
A major quake that rocked the central South Island today has resulted in a handful of residential claims to the Earthquake Commission.

Size of earthquake revised
GNS Science has revised down the magnitude of this morning's earthquake in the central South Island.

Christmas Eve quake shakes Christchurch
Christchurch was struck by a magnitude 4.0 quake last night.

Christchurch 'ready' for return of tests
Canterbury officials are confident the country's newest test venue will scrub up impressively when New Zealand meet Sri Lanka at Hagley Oval beginning on Friday.