| Magnitude | 5.5 |
| Alert | Strong |
| Depth | 61.0 km |
| Coordinates | -30.240, -177.885 |
| UTC time | 1981-12-29 19:06:31.610 |
Earthquake details
Tuesday, December 29, 1981 Earthquake
The earthquake hit New Zealand on Tuesday, December 29, 1981 at 19:06 UTC with a magnitude of 5.5. The closest known location in the current dataset is Whangarei (New Zealand - NE), about 949.6 km away. The epicenter is located at longitude -177.885 and latitude -30.240.
| Location | Kermadec Islands |
| Country | New Zealand (NE) |
| Severity | Strong |
Earthquake map 1981-12-29
Closest countries
The 12 closest cities near the epicenter.
| Whangarei | 949.6 km |
| Tauranga | 993.8 km |
| Auckland | 1002.5 km |
| Manukau | 1006.7 km |
| Papatoetoe | 1007.2 km |
| Gisborne | 1009.4 km |
| Rotorua | 1031.5 km |
| Hamilton | 1049.3 km |
| Napier City | 1133.8 km |
| Hastings | 1150.7 km |
| New Plymouth | 1226.2 km |
| Whanganui | 1255.3 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
28.2 km
M 4.8
Kermadec Islands
New Zealand · 2026-09-05 01:41 UTC
61.8 km
M 5.8
Kermadec Islands
New Zealand · 2026-08-30 09:02 UTC
10.4 km
M 4.9
Kermadec Islands
New Zealand · 2026-07-25 21:39 UTC
89.5 km
M 5.0
Kermadec Islands
New Zealand · 2026-07-22 21:03 UTC
69.3 km
M 4.9
Kermadec Islands
New Zealand · 2026-07-22 15:39 UTC
79.2 km
M 4.6
Kermadec Islands
New Zealand · 2026-07-11 03:33 UTC
64.3 km
M 5.1
Kermadec Islands
New Zealand · 2026-06-21 23:14 UTC
48.4 km
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