A magnitude 5.7 earthquake in the Kermadec Islands this morning triggered so-called "ghost quakes" along New Zealand's east coast. Photo/123RF
A large earthquake north of New Zealand has led to a number of ghost quakes across the North Island this morning.
A magnitude 5.7 quake struck 8.26am in the Kermadec Islands, nearly 1500km northeast of the country.
The tremor, which was 450km deep, triggered a trio of tremors on earthquake-recording drums in Hawke's Bay and the East Coast.
GNS seismologist John Ristow said it was a phenomenon known as ghost quakes, where the drums picked up a strong quake and recorded it as a local tremor.
Shallow, strong ghost quakes were recorded off Pongaroa, Wairoa and Te Araroa and struck within a minute of each other.
The quakes, which all measured around 4.5, were deleted by Geonet after the ghosting was detected.
Ristow said people may have felt the original off-shore quake.
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