| Magnitude | 5.3 |
| Alert | Strong |
| Depth | 66.5 km |
| Coordinates | -32.714, -178.975 |
| UTC time | 1988-03-12 00:44:14.820 |
Earthquake details
Saturday, March 12, 1988 Earthquake
The earthquake hit south of the Kermadec Islands on Saturday, March 12, 1988 at 00:44 UTC with a magnitude of 5.3. The closest known location in the current dataset is Whangarei, about 702.1 km away. The epicenter is located at longitude -178.975 and latitude -32.714.
| Location | south of the Kermadec Islands |
| Country | south of the Kermadec Islands |
| Severity | Strong |
Earthquake map 1988-03-12
Closest countries
The 12 closest cities near the epicenter.
| Whangarei | 702.1 km |
| Tauranga | 708.0 km |
| Gisborne | 715.2 km |
| Auckland | 734.2 km |
| Manukau | 735.9 km |
| Papatoetoe | 737.0 km |
| Rotorua | 743.1 km |
| Hamilton | 768.4 km |
| Napier City | 840.1 km |
| Hastings | 857.0 km |
| New Plymouth | 943.8 km |
| Whanganui | 965.4 km |
Nearby earthquakes
The latest 8 earthquakes within 100 km of this epicenter.
M 5.0
south of the Kermadec Islands
Unknown · 2026-07-20 20:44 UTC
83.1 km
M 4.5
south of the Kermadec Islands
Unknown · 2026-07-19 20:23 UTC
38.6 km
M 5.2
south of the Kermadec Islands
Unknown · 2026-07-18 05:46 UTC
81.3 km
M 5.0
south of the Kermadec Islands
Unknown · 2026-07-17 13:17 UTC
78.7 km
M 4.4
south of the Kermadec Islands
Unknown · 2026-07-09 19:17 UTC
67.1 km
M 4.7
south of the Kermadec Islands
Unknown · 2026-07-06 22:14 UTC
80.2 km
M 4.6
south of the Kermadec Islands
Unknown · 2026-07-06 19:10 UTC
66.3 km
M 4.6
south of the Kermadec Islands
Unknown · 2026-07-05 09:21 UTC
72.9 km
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