| Magnitude | 5.3 |
| Alert | Strong |
| Depth | 58.0 km |
| Coordinates | -30.970, -178.266 |
| UTC time | 1978-02-21 02:59:54.000 |
Earthquake details
Tuesday, February 21, 1978 Earthquake
The earthquake hit New Zealand on Tuesday, February 21, 1978 at 02:59 UTC with a magnitude of 5.3. The closest known location in the current dataset is Whangarei (New Zealand - NE), about 868.9 km away. The epicenter is located at longitude -178.266 and latitude -30.970.
| Location | Kermadec Islands |
| Country | New Zealand (NE) |
| Severity | Strong |
Earthquake map 1978-02-21
Closest countries
The 12 closest cities near the epicenter.
| Whangarei | 868.9 km |
| Tauranga | 905.6 km |
| Auckland | 917.6 km |
| Gisborne | 920.5 km |
| Manukau | 921.3 km |
| Papatoetoe | 921.9 km |
| Rotorua | 943.0 km |
| Hamilton | 962.0 km |
| Napier City | 1044.7 km |
| Hastings | 1061.6 km |
| New Plymouth | 1138.7 km |
| Whanganui | 1166.6 km |
Nearby earthquakes
The latest 8 earthquakes within 100 km of this epicenter.
M 4.8
Kermadec Islands
New Zealand · 2026-09-05 01:41 UTC
46.4 km
M 5.8
Kermadec Islands
New Zealand · 2026-08-30 09:02 UTC
98.5 km
M 4.4
Kermadec Islands region
Unknown · 2026-07-16 18:22 UTC
67.8 km
M 4.6
Kermadec Islands
New Zealand · 2026-07-11 03:33 UTC
29.3 km
M 4.9
Kermadec Islands region
Unknown · 2026-06-29 03:10 UTC
65.0 km
M 5.1
Kermadec Islands
New Zealand · 2026-06-21 23:14 UTC
76.6 km
M 4.5
Kermadec Islands region
Unknown · 2026-06-18 04:58 UTC
26.6 km
M 5.0
Kermadec Islands
New Zealand · 2026-05-31 19:15 UTC
65.4 km
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