Seismically, New Zealand is one of the most active places on earth. On average there are around 15,000 earthquakes shaking the country every year. These are caused by New Zealand being caught between two of the earth's plates, the Australian plate to the west and the fast moving Pacific plate to the east. Their straining and movement, of about 40 mm per year, means that New Zealand is constantly being compressed and pulled sideways at the same time. This movement results in the majority of earthquakes that occur.
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