| Magnitude | 5.0 |
| Alert | Strong |
| Depth | 38.1 km |
| Coordinates | -33.636, -178.561 |
| UTC time | 1988-08-21 08:17:21.520 |
Earthquake details
Sunday, August 21, 1988 Earthquake
The earthquake hit south of the Kermadec Islands on Sunday, August 21, 1988 at 08:17 UTC with a magnitude of 5.0. The closest known location in the current dataset is Gisborne, about 638.1 km away. The epicenter is located at longitude -178.561 and latitude -33.636.
| Location | south of the Kermadec Islands |
| Country | south of the Kermadec Islands |
| Severity | Strong |
Earthquake map 1988-08-21
Closest countries
The 12 closest cities near the epicenter.
| Gisborne | 638.1 km |
| Tauranga | 656.0 km |
| Rotorua | 685.8 km |
| Whangarei | 691.6 km |
| Manukau | 703.0 km |
| Auckland | 704.2 km |
| Papatoetoe | 704.7 km |
| Hamilton | 722.7 km |
| Napier City | 767.1 km |
| Hastings | 783.6 km |
| New Plymouth | 894.0 km |
| Whanganui | 902.7 km |
Nearby earthquakes
The latest 8 earthquakes within 100 km of this epicenter.
M 4.5
south of the Kermadec Islands
Unknown · 2026-07-19 20:23 UTC
83.3 km
M 5.2
south of the Kermadec Islands
Unknown · 2026-07-18 05:46 UTC
99.9 km
M 5.0
south of the Kermadec Islands
Unknown · 2026-07-17 13:17 UTC
89.6 km
M 4.4
south of the Kermadec Islands
Unknown · 2026-07-09 19:17 UTC
47.9 km
M 4.7
south of the Kermadec Islands
Unknown · 2026-07-06 22:14 UTC
45.3 km
M 4.6
south of the Kermadec Islands
Unknown · 2026-07-06 19:10 UTC
67.5 km
M 4.6
south of the Kermadec Islands
Unknown · 2026-06-12 10:31 UTC
83.3 km
M 4.2
south of the Kermadec Islands
Unknown · 2026-06-08 15:19 UTC
33.6 km
Stay informed
Earthquake alerts
Create targeted notifications for important seismic activity near the places you follow.