| Magnitude | 5.4 |
| Alert | Strong |
| Depth | 33.0 km |
| Coordinates | -30.421, -177.753 |
| UTC time | 1978-12-15 01:35:42.800 |
Earthquake details
Friday, December 15, 1978 Earthquake
The earthquake hit New Zealand on Friday, December 15, 1978 at 01:35 UTC with a magnitude of 5.4. The closest known location in the current dataset is Whangarei (New Zealand - NE), about 945.8 km away. The epicenter is located at longitude -177.753 and latitude -30.421.
| Location | Kermadec Islands |
| Country | New Zealand (NE) |
| Severity | Strong |
Earthquake map 1978-12-15
Closest countries
The 12 closest cities near the epicenter.
| Whangarei | 945.8 km |
| Tauranga | 983.6 km |
| Gisborne | 995.3 km |
| Auckland | 995.8 km |
| Manukau | 999.6 km |
| Papatoetoe | 1000.2 km |
| Rotorua | 1020.6 km |
| Hamilton | 1040.3 km |
| Napier City | 1120.4 km |
| Hastings | 1137.3 km |
| New Plymouth | 1217.0 km |
| Whanganui | 1244.0 km |
Nearby earthquakes
The latest 8 earthquakes within 100 km of this epicenter.
M 4.9
Kermadec Islands
New Zealand · 2026-09-16 20:03 UTC
27.6 km
M 4.8
Kermadec Islands
New Zealand · 2026-09-05 01:41 UTC
42.0 km
M 5.8
Kermadec Islands
New Zealand · 2026-08-30 09:02 UTC
33.2 km
M 5.0
Kermadec Islands
New Zealand · 2026-07-22 21:03 UTC
90.8 km
M 4.9
Kermadec Islands
New Zealand · 2026-07-22 15:39 UTC
88.7 km
M 4.6
Kermadec Islands
New Zealand · 2026-07-11 03:33 UTC
59.7 km
M 4.9
Kermadec Islands region
Unknown · 2026-06-29 03:10 UTC
86.8 km
M 5.1
Kermadec Islands
New Zealand · 2026-06-21 23:14 UTC
62.5 km
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