| Magnitude | 5.2 |
| Alert | Strong |
| Depth | 126.4 km |
| Coordinates | -30.091, -177.943 |
| UTC time | 1981-09-21 22:20:03.250 |
Earthquake details
Monday, September 21, 1981 Earthquake
The earthquake hit New Zealand on Monday, September 21, 1981 at 22:20 UTC with a magnitude of 5.2. The closest known location in the current dataset is Whangarei (New Zealand - NE), about 956.7 km away. The epicenter is located at longitude -177.943 and latitude -30.091.
| Location | Kermadec Islands |
| Country | New Zealand (NE) |
| Severity | Strong |
Earthquake map 1981-09-21
Closest countries
The 12 closest cities near the epicenter.
| Whangarei | 956.7 km |
| Tauranga | 1005.0 km |
| Auckland | 1011.5 km |
| Manukau | 1016.0 km |
| Papatoetoe | 1016.4 km |
| Gisborne | 1023.0 km |
| Rotorua | 1043.2 km |
| Hamilton | 1059.8 km |
| Napier City | 1146.8 km |
| Hastings | 1163.8 km |
| New Plymouth | 1236.7 km |
| Whanganui | 1267.2 km |
Nearby earthquakes
The latest 8 earthquakes within 100 km of this epicenter.
M 4.9
Kermadec Islands
New Zealand · 2026-09-16 20:03 UTC
36.4 km
M 4.8
Kermadec Islands
New Zealand · 2026-09-05 01:41 UTC
78.9 km
M 5.8
Kermadec Islands
New Zealand · 2026-08-30 09:02 UTC
8.1 km
M 4.9
Kermadec Islands
New Zealand · 2026-07-25 21:39 UTC
76.8 km
M 5.0
Kermadec Islands
New Zealand · 2026-07-22 21:03 UTC
52.7 km
M 4.9
Kermadec Islands
New Zealand · 2026-07-22 15:39 UTC
72.2 km
M 4.6
Kermadec Islands
New Zealand · 2026-07-11 03:33 UTC
75.7 km
M 5.1
Kermadec Islands
New Zealand · 2026-06-21 23:14 UTC
47.9 km
Stay informed
Earthquake alerts
Create targeted notifications for important seismic activity near the places you follow.