7.0
EarthquakeExtreme
M7.0 earthquake near Invercargill, Southland
32081 d ago · 16 Dec 1938, 17:21 UTC 15 km WNW of Te Anau, New Zealand
What happened
A magnitude 7 earthquake struck 15 km WNW of Te Anau, New Zealand on 16 Dec 1938, 17:21 UTC at a depth of 100 km.
Earthquakes of this size are classed as Major. Can cause serious damage over large areas. This was an intermediate-depth earthquake, so shaking is spread over a wider, gentler area.
The nearest town in our records is Invercargill, about 131 km away in Southland, New Zealand.
Timeline
First reported by USGS
16 Oct 2026, 20:46 UTC
Community
Did you feel it?
Nearby in the last 30 days
No other events recorded within about 300 km in the last 30 days.