| Magnitude | 5.1 |
| Alert | Strong |
| Depth | 191.0 km |
| Coordinates | -34.537, 178.953 |
| UTC time | 1981-01-03 20:54:08.900 |
Earthquake details
Saturday, January 3, 1981 Earthquake
The earthquake hit south of the Kermadec Islands on Saturday, January 3, 1981 at 20:54 UTC with a magnitude of 5.1. The closest known location in the current dataset is Tauranga, about 430.9 km away. The epicenter is located at longitude 178.953 and latitude -34.537.
| Location | south of the Kermadec Islands |
| Country | south of the Kermadec Islands |
| Severity | Strong |
Earthquake map 1981-01-03
Closest countries
The 12 closest cities near the epicenter.
| Tauranga | 430.9 km |
| Whangarei | 441.9 km |
| Auckland | 457.8 km |
| Manukau | 458.3 km |
| Papatoetoe | 459.6 km |
| Gisborne | 466.0 km |
| Rotorua | 468.7 km |
| Hamilton | 489.2 km |
| Napier City | 580.7 km |
| Hastings | 597.7 km |
| New Plymouth | 665.1 km |
| Whanganui | 693.0 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
94.3 km
M 4.9
south of the Kermadec Islands
Unknown · 2026-06-19 23:11 UTC
91.0 km
M 5.0
Auckland
New Zealand · 2026-04-04 08:12 UTC
95.6 km
M 4.9
off the east coast of the North Island of New Zealand
Unknown · 2026-03-22 17:06 UTC
97.6 km
M 4.7
south of the Kermadec Islands
Unknown · 2026-03-13 16:15 UTC
78.0 km
M 4.3
south of the Kermadec Islands
Unknown · 2026-03-08 18:28 UTC
78.8 km
M 4.4
south of the Kermadec Islands
Unknown · 2026-03-07 13:01 UTC
41.4 km
M 4.7
south of the Kermadec Islands
Unknown · 2025-11-03 10:11 UTC
70.1 km
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