| Magnitude | 5.6 |
| Alert | Strong |
| Depth | 33.0 km |
| Coordinates | -33.275, -178.908 |
| UTC time | 1981-02-20 09:40:55.750 |
Earthquake details
Friday, February 20, 1981 Earthquake
The earthquake hit south of the Kermadec Islands on Friday, February 20, 1981 at 09:40 UTC with a magnitude of 5.6. The closest known location in the current dataset is Gisborne, about 660.1 km away. The epicenter is located at longitude -178.908 and latitude -33.275.
| Location | south of the Kermadec Islands |
| Country | south of the Kermadec Islands |
| Severity | Strong |
Earthquake map 1981-02-20
Closest countries
The 12 closest cities near the epicenter.
| Gisborne | 660.1 km |
| Tauranga | 663.5 km |
| Whangarei | 678.2 km |
| Rotorua | 696.2 km |
| Auckland | 700.3 km |
| Manukau | 700.5 km |
| Papatoetoe | 701.9 km |
| Hamilton | 726.9 km |
| Napier City | 786.7 km |
| Hastings | 803.5 km |
| New Plymouth | 900.7 km |
| Whanganui | 916.5 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
95.6 km
M 4.5
south of the Kermadec Islands
Unknown · 2026-07-19 20:23 UTC
50.8 km
M 5.2
south of the Kermadec Islands
Unknown · 2026-07-18 05:46 UTC
89.6 km
M 5.0
south of the Kermadec Islands
Unknown · 2026-07-17 13:17 UTC
80.9 km
M 4.4
south of the Kermadec Islands
Unknown · 2026-07-09 19:17 UTC
4.4 km
M 4.7
south of the Kermadec Islands
Unknown · 2026-07-06 22:14 UTC
19.2 km
M 4.6
south of the Kermadec Islands
Unknown · 2026-07-06 19:10 UTC
54.8 km
M 4.6
south of the Kermadec Islands
Unknown · 2026-06-12 10:31 UTC
88.2 km
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