| Magnitude | 5.1 |
| Alert | Strong |
| Depth | 50.0 km |
| Coordinates | -32.727, -178.943 |
| UTC time | 1978-12-12 22:31:40.400 |
Earthquake details
Tuesday, December 12, 1978 Earthquake
The earthquake hit south of the Kermadec Islands on Tuesday, December 12, 1978 at 22:31 UTC with a magnitude of 5.1. The closest known location in the current dataset is Whangarei, about 704.0 km away. The epicenter is located at longitude -178.943 and latitude -32.727.
| Location | south of the Kermadec Islands |
| Country | south of the Kermadec Islands |
| Severity | Strong |
Earthquake map 1978-12-12
Closest countries
The 12 closest cities near the epicenter.
| Whangarei | 704.0 km |
| Tauranga | 708.7 km |
| Gisborne | 715.0 km |
| Auckland | 735.6 km |
| Manukau | 737.2 km |
| Papatoetoe | 738.2 km |
| Rotorua | 743.6 km |
| Hamilton | 769.3 km |
| Napier City | 840.1 km |
| Hastings | 856.9 km |
| New Plymouth | 944.6 km |
| Whanganui | 965.7 km |
Nearby earthquakes
The latest 8 earthquakes within 100 km of this epicenter.
M 5.0
south of the Kermadec Islands
Unknown · 2026-07-20 20:44 UTC
80.1 km
M 4.5
south of the Kermadec Islands
Unknown · 2026-07-19 20:23 UTC
35.3 km
M 5.2
south of the Kermadec Islands
Unknown · 2026-07-18 05:46 UTC
78.1 km
M 5.0
south of the Kermadec Islands
Unknown · 2026-07-17 13:17 UTC
75.5 km
M 4.4
south of the Kermadec Islands
Unknown · 2026-07-09 19:17 UTC
65.5 km
M 4.7
south of the Kermadec Islands
Unknown · 2026-07-06 22:14 UTC
78.8 km
M 4.6
south of the Kermadec Islands
Unknown · 2026-07-06 19:10 UTC
63.0 km
M 4.6
south of the Kermadec Islands
Unknown · 2026-07-05 09:21 UTC
75.6 km
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