| Magnitude | 5.4 |
| Alert | Strong |
| Depth | 125.0 km |
| Coordinates | -33.872, 179.299 |
| UTC time | 1973-12-22 14:44:32.700 |
Earthquake details
Saturday, December 22, 1973 Earthquake
The earthquake hit south of the Kermadec Islands on Saturday, December 22, 1973 at 14:44 UTC with a magnitude of 5.4. The closest known location in the current dataset is Whangarei, about 499.6 km away. The epicenter is located at longitude 179.299 and latitude -33.872.
| Location | south of the Kermadec Islands |
| Country | south of the Kermadec Islands |
| Severity | Strong |
Earthquake map 1973-12-22
Closest countries
The 12 closest cities near the epicenter.
| Whangarei | 499.6 km |
| Tauranga | 510.1 km |
| Auckland | 528.4 km |
| Manukau | 530.3 km |
| Papatoetoe | 531.3 km |
| Gisborne | 544.8 km |
| Rotorua | 548.8 km |
| Hamilton | 566.4 km |
| Napier City | 660.9 km |
| Hastings | 678.0 km |
| New Plymouth | 742.9 km |
| Whanganui | 773.3 km |
Nearby earthquakes
The latest 8 earthquakes within 100 km of this epicenter.
M 6.3
south of the Kermadec Islands
Unknown · 2026-08-05 07:43 UTC
17.6 km
M 4.7
south of the Kermadec Islands
Unknown · 2026-06-20 00:47 UTC
24.2 km
M 4.9
south of the Kermadec Islands
Unknown · 2026-06-19 23:11 UTC
22.1 km
M 4.7
south of the Kermadec Islands
Unknown · 2026-03-13 16:15 UTC
31.3 km
M 4.4
south of the Kermadec Islands
Unknown · 2026-03-11 19:33 UTC
74.5 km
M 4.3
south of the Kermadec Islands
Unknown · 2026-03-08 18:28 UTC
33.2 km
M 4.4
south of the Kermadec Islands
Unknown · 2026-03-07 13:01 UTC
39.2 km
M 4.0
south of the Kermadec Islands
Unknown · 2025-10-07 16:33 UTC
10.7 km
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