| Magnitude | 5.2 |
| Alert | Strong |
| Depth | 33.0 km |
| Coordinates | -30.044, -177.693 |
| UTC time | 1981-12-26 17:53:30.660 |
Earthquake details
Saturday, December 26, 1981 Earthquake
The earthquake hit New Zealand on Saturday, December 26, 1981 at 17:53 UTC with a magnitude of 5.2. The closest known location in the current dataset is Whangarei (New Zealand - NE), about 978.0 km away. The epicenter is located at longitude -177.693 and latitude -30.044.
| Location | Kermadec Islands |
| Country | New Zealand (NE) |
| Severity | Strong |
Earthquake map 1981-12-26
Closest countries
The 12 closest cities near the epicenter.
| Whangarei | 978.0 km |
| Tauranga | 1022.1 km |
| Auckland | 1031.1 km |
| Manukau | 1035.3 km |
| Papatoetoe | 1035.8 km |
| Gisborne | 1036.4 km |
| Rotorua | 1059.7 km |
| Hamilton | 1077.8 km |
| Napier City | 1161.1 km |
| Hastings | 1178.0 km |
| New Plymouth | 1254.6 km |
| Whanganui | 1283.4 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
21.4 km
M 4.8
Kermadec Islands
New Zealand · 2026-09-05 01:41 UTC
84.3 km
M 5.8
Kermadec Islands
New Zealand · 2026-08-30 09:02 UTC
22.0 km
M 4.9
Kermadec Islands
New Zealand · 2026-07-25 21:39 UTC
63.4 km
M 5.0
Kermadec Islands
New Zealand · 2026-07-22 21:03 UTC
52.4 km
M 4.9
Kermadec Islands
New Zealand · 2026-07-22 20:07 UTC
88.8 km
M 4.8
Kermadec Islands region
Unknown · 2026-07-22 15:45 UTC
82.3 km
M 4.9
Kermadec Islands
New Zealand · 2026-07-22 15:39 UTC
50.6 km
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