The 2016 Kaikoura earthquake was a magnitude 7.8 (M w) earthquake in the South Island of New Zealand that occurred two minutes after midnight on 14 November 2016 NZDT (11:02 on 13 November UTC). Ruptures occurred on multiple faults and the earthquake has been described as the “most complex earthquake ever studied”.. The earthquake started at about 15 kilometres (9 mi) north-east of Culverden …

