Three sizable earthquakes have occurred in the region of New Zealand’s South Island in the last few hours, broadly in line with Ken Ring’s prediction that the next quakes larger than magnitude 4 will occur at the end of August.

Two very shallow quakes of  4.7 and 4.0 and were located near Christchurch this afternoon. An earlier magnitude 5.0 at 11.36 last night was located north of Macquarie Island at a depth of 9.9km. See second map below

Ken Ring is also predicting seismic events in the last week of September, caused by conditions similar to those which prevailed at the time of last September’s 7.1 Canterbury earthquake:

“…Basically we need mostly to be the most cautious around the last week of September, associated with equinox and new moon in powerful perigee rising due east, adding to gravitational pull. It is the same 3-way lunar set-up as for last September’s quake. The last week in September is the period immediately following equinox (22nd) and stress will have built up that needs release. Around the end of September the very close new moon (as also happened 4 September) is potent, together with planetary combinations that include the next Mercury-Sun-Earth alignment that also occurred on 22 Feb and 13 June. The likelihood is great for seismic events around the globe. “

There has also been a small swarm of earthquakes near Matata in the North Island, which started with a magnitude 4.4 at 7.11 yesterday morning, at depth of 3 km (Tuesday 30 August) See first map below

4.4 earthquake at Matata

location of 5.0 quake off the South Island

Details from Geonet.org.nz

• Reference Number:3571192
  • NZST: Wed, Aug 31 2011 1:30 pm
  • Magnitude: 4.7
  • Depth: 11 km
  • Details: 20 km south-west of Christchurch
• Reference Number:3571187
  • NZST: Wed, Aug 31 2011 1:15 pm
  • Magnitude: 4.0
  • Depth: 5 km
  • Details: Within 5 km of Lyttelton

From USGS earthquake hazards programme