| Magnitude | 5.2 |
| Alert | Strong |
| Depth | 90.0 km |
| Coordinates | -33.202, -179.733 |
| UTC time | 1978-12-29 01:57:55.400 |
Earthquake details
Friday, December 29, 1978 Earthquake
The earthquake hit south of the Kermadec Islands on Friday, December 29, 1978 at 01:57 UTC with a magnitude of 5.2. The closest known location in the current dataset is Whangarei, about 613.7 km away. The epicenter is located at longitude -179.733 and latitude -33.202.
| Location | south of the Kermadec Islands |
| Country | south of the Kermadec Islands |
| Severity | Strong |
Earthquake map 1978-12-29
Closest countries
The 12 closest cities near the epicenter.
| Whangarei | 613.7 km |
| Tauranga | 622.3 km |
| Gisborne | 640.1 km |
| Auckland | 645.1 km |
| Manukau | 646.9 km |
| Papatoetoe | 648.0 km |
| Rotorua | 658.8 km |
| Hamilton | 681.0 km |
| Napier City | 762.0 km |
| Hastings | 779.0 km |
| New Plymouth | 857.0 km |
| Whanganui | 882.2 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
99.7 km
M 4.4
south of the Kermadec Islands
Unknown · 2026-07-09 19:17 UTC
78.0 km
M 4.7
south of the Kermadec Islands
Unknown · 2026-07-06 22:14 UTC
74.1 km
M 4.7
south of the Kermadec Islands
Unknown · 2026-06-20 00:47 UTC
92.9 km
M 4.6
south of the Kermadec Islands
Unknown · 2026-06-12 10:31 UTC
91.8 km
M 4.2
south of the Kermadec Islands
Unknown · 2026-06-08 15:19 UTC
95.3 km
M 4.3
south of the Kermadec Islands
Unknown · 2026-06-02 16:18 UTC
73.4 km
M 4.6
south of the Kermadec Islands
Unknown · 2026-04-05 23:44 UTC
58.6 km
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