| Magnitude | 5.3 |
| Alert | Strong |
| Depth | 33.0 km |
| Coordinates | -33.078, -178.565 |
| UTC time | 1979-12-04 18:37:14.900 |
Earthquake details
Tuesday, December 4, 1979 Earthquake
The earthquake hit south of the Kermadec Islands on Tuesday, December 4, 1979 at 18:37 UTC with a magnitude of 5.3. The closest known location in the current dataset is Gisborne, about 693.4 km away. The epicenter is located at longitude -178.565 and latitude -33.078.
| Location | south of the Kermadec Islands |
| Country | south of the Kermadec Islands |
| Severity | Strong |
Earthquake map 1979-12-04
Closest countries
The 12 closest cities near the epicenter.
| Gisborne | 693.4 km |
| Tauranga | 701.0 km |
| Whangarei | 716.6 km |
| Rotorua | 733.2 km |
| Auckland | 739.0 km |
| Manukau | 739.2 km |
| Papatoetoe | 740.6 km |
| Hamilton | 765.0 km |
| Napier City | 821.0 km |
| Hastings | 837.7 km |
| New Plymouth | 938.5 km |
| Whanganui | 952.7 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
56.9 km
M 4.5
south of the Kermadec Islands
Unknown · 2026-07-19 20:23 UTC
21.7 km
M 5.2
south of the Kermadec Islands
Unknown · 2026-07-18 05:46 UTC
50.9 km
M 5.0
south of the Kermadec Islands
Unknown · 2026-07-17 13:17 UTC
42.3 km
M 4.4
south of the Kermadec Islands
Unknown · 2026-07-09 19:17 UTC
41.2 km
M 4.7
south of the Kermadec Islands
Unknown · 2026-07-06 22:14 UTC
55.7 km
M 4.6
south of the Kermadec Islands
Unknown · 2026-07-06 19:10 UTC
17.0 km
M 4.6
south of the Kermadec Islands
Unknown · 2026-06-27 05:26 UTC
92.0 km
Stay informed
Earthquake alerts
Create targeted notifications for important seismic activity near the places you follow.