| Magnitude | 5.4 |
| Alert | Strong |
| Depth | 33.0 km |
| Coordinates | -30.012, -177.612 |
| UTC time | 1981-12-27 06:22:50.460 |
Earthquake details
Sunday, December 27, 1981 Earthquake
The earthquake hit New Zealand on Sunday, December 27, 1981 at 06:22 UTC with a magnitude of 5.4. The closest known location in the current dataset is Whangarei (New Zealand - NE), about 986.2 km away. The epicenter is located at longitude -177.612 and latitude -30.012.
| Location | Kermadec Islands |
| Country | New Zealand (NE) |
| Severity | Strong |
Earthquake map 1981-12-27
Closest countries
The 12 closest cities near the epicenter.
| Whangarei | 986.2 km |
| Tauranga | 1029.2 km |
| Auckland | 1038.9 km |
| Gisborne | 1042.6 km |
| Manukau | 1043.1 km |
| Papatoetoe | 1043.6 km |
| Rotorua | 1066.7 km |
| Hamilton | 1085.2 km |
| Napier City | 1167.5 km |
| Hastings | 1184.4 km |
| New Plymouth | 1262.0 km |
| Whanganui | 1290.3 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
22.7 km
M 4.8
Kermadec Islands
New Zealand · 2026-09-05 01:41 UTC
89.3 km
M 5.8
Kermadec Islands
New Zealand · 2026-08-30 09:02 UTC
30.5 km
M 4.9
Kermadec Islands
New Zealand · 2026-07-25 21:39 UTC
58.7 km
M 5.0
Kermadec Islands
New Zealand · 2026-07-22 21:03 UTC
53.1 km
M 4.9
Kermadec Islands
New Zealand · 2026-07-22 20:07 UTC
81.1 km
M 4.8
Kermadec Islands region
Unknown · 2026-07-22 15:45 UTC
73.8 km
M 4.9
Kermadec Islands
New Zealand · 2026-07-22 15:39 UTC
42.8 km
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