| Magnitude | 5.3 |
| Alert | Strong |
| Depth | 42.3 km |
| Coordinates | -34.104, -178.897 |
| UTC time | 1981-03-20 20:38:31.050 |
Earthquake details
Friday, March 20, 1981 Earthquake
The earthquake hit south of the Kermadec Islands on Friday, March 20, 1981 at 20:38 UTC with a magnitude of 5.3. The closest known location in the current dataset is Gisborne, about 577.5 km away. The epicenter is located at longitude -178.897 and latitude -34.104.
| Location | south of the Kermadec Islands |
| Country | south of the Kermadec Islands |
| Severity | Strong |
Earthquake map 1981-03-20
Closest countries
The 12 closest cities near the epicenter.
| Gisborne | 577.5 km |
| Tauranga | 597.5 km |
| Rotorua | 626.3 km |
| Whangarei | 644.6 km |
| Manukau | 648.7 km |
| Papatoetoe | 650.6 km |
| Auckland | 650.6 km |
| Hamilton | 665.2 km |
| Napier City | 706.4 km |
| Hastings | 723.0 km |
| New Plymouth | 835.5 km |
| Whanganui | 842.5 km |
Nearby earthquakes
The latest 8 earthquakes within 100 km of this epicenter.
M 4.4
south of the Kermadec Islands
Unknown · 2026-07-09 19:17 UTC
87.7 km
M 4.7
south of the Kermadec Islands
Unknown · 2026-07-06 22:14 UTC
74.8 km
M 4.6
south of the Kermadec Islands
Unknown · 2026-06-12 10:31 UTC
45.9 km
M 4.2
south of the Kermadec Islands
Unknown · 2026-06-08 15:19 UTC
83.4 km
M 4.3
south of the Kermadec Islands
Unknown · 2026-05-29 12:59 UTC
97.7 km
M 4.8
south of the Kermadec Islands
Unknown · 2026-04-23 17:46 UTC
79.0 km
M 4.7
south of the Kermadec Islands
Unknown · 2026-04-05 22:14 UTC
55.4 km
M 4.7
south of the Kermadec Islands
Unknown · 2026-03-17 15:25 UTC
96.0 km
Stay informed
Earthquake alerts
Create targeted notifications for important seismic activity near the places you follow.