| Magnitude | 5.2 |
| Alert | Strong |
| Depth | 42.0 km |
| Coordinates | -34.177, -179.102 |
| UTC time | 1981-03-22 17:07:21.570 |
Earthquake details
Sunday, March 22, 1981 Earthquake
The earthquake hit south of the Kermadec Islands on Sunday, March 22, 1981 at 17:07 UTC with a magnitude of 5.2. The closest known location in the current dataset is Gisborne, about 561.6 km away. The epicenter is located at longitude -179.102 and latitude -34.177.
| Location | south of the Kermadec Islands |
| Country | south of the Kermadec Islands |
| Severity | Strong |
Earthquake map 1981-03-22
Closest countries
The 12 closest cities near the epicenter.
| Gisborne | 561.6 km |
| Tauranga | 578.2 km |
| Rotorua | 607.6 km |
| Whangarei | 624.1 km |
| Manukau | 628.4 km |
| Papatoetoe | 630.2 km |
| Auckland | 630.2 km |
| Hamilton | 645.5 km |
| Napier City | 689.9 km |
| Hastings | 706.5 km |
| New Plymouth | 816.2 km |
| Whanganui | 824.5 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
97.6 km
M 4.7
south of the Kermadec Islands
Unknown · 2026-07-06 22:14 UTC
83.2 km
M 4.6
south of the Kermadec Islands
Unknown · 2026-06-12 10:31 UTC
33.7 km
M 4.2
south of the Kermadec Islands
Unknown · 2026-06-08 15:19 UTC
96.4 km
M 4.3
south of the Kermadec Islands
Unknown · 2026-05-29 12:59 UTC
87.3 km
M 4.8
south of the Kermadec Islands
Unknown · 2026-04-23 17:46 UTC
67.9 km
M 4.7
south of the Kermadec Islands
Unknown · 2026-04-05 22:14 UTC
62.8 km
M 4.6
south of the Kermadec Islands
Unknown · 2026-03-12 13:20 UTC
94.9 km
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