| Magnitude | 7.1 |
| Alert | Extreme |
| Depth | 33.0 km |
| Coordinates | -29.934, -177.741 |
| UTC time | 1981-12-26 17:05:32.520 |
Earthquake details
Saturday, December 26, 1981 Earthquake
The earthquake hit New Zealand on Saturday, December 26, 1981 at 17:05 UTC with a magnitude of 7.1. The closest known location in the current dataset is Whangarei (New Zealand - NE), about 982.9 km away. The epicenter is located at longitude -177.741 and latitude -29.934.
| Location | Kermadec Islands |
| Country | New Zealand (NE) |
| Severity | Extreme |
Earthquake map 1981-12-26
Closest countries
The 12 closest cities near the epicenter.
| Whangarei | 982.9 km |
| Tauranga | 1030.0 km |
| Auckland | 1037.4 km |
| Manukau | 1041.9 km |
| Papatoetoe | 1042.3 km |
| Gisborne | 1046.2 km |
| Rotorua | 1068.0 km |
| Hamilton | 1085.2 km |
| Napier City | 1170.5 km |
| Hastings | 1187.5 km |
| New Plymouth | 1262.1 km |
| Whanganui | 1291.9 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
34.4 km
M 4.8
Kermadec Islands
New Zealand · 2026-09-05 01:41 UTC
95.9 km
M 5.8
Kermadec Islands
New Zealand · 2026-08-30 09:02 UTC
27.5 km
M 4.9
Kermadec Islands
New Zealand · 2026-07-25 21:39 UTC
52.8 km
M 5.0
Kermadec Islands
New Zealand · 2026-07-22 21:03 UTC
39.3 km
M 4.9
Kermadec Islands
New Zealand · 2026-07-22 20:07 UTC
83.3 km
M 4.8
Kermadec Islands region
Unknown · 2026-07-22 15:45 UTC
80.6 km
M 4.9
Kermadec Islands
New Zealand · 2026-07-22 15:39 UTC
46.3 km
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