| Magnitude | 6.4 |
| Alert | Severe |
| Depth | 30.7 km |
| Coordinates | -29.790, -177.915 |
| UTC time | 1988-12-16 09:57:16.590 |
Earthquake details
Friday, December 16, 1988 Earthquake
The earthquake hit New Zealand on Friday, December 16, 1988 at 09:57 UTC with a magnitude of 6.4. The closest known location in the current dataset is Whangarei (New Zealand - NE), about 981.8 km away. The epicenter is located at longitude -177.915 and latitude -29.790.
| Location | Kermadec Islands |
| Country | New Zealand (NE) |
| Severity | Severe |
Earthquake map 1988-12-16
Closest countries
The 12 closest cities near the epicenter.
| Whangarei | 981.8 km |
| Tauranga | 1035.2 km |
| Auckland | 1039.1 km |
| Manukau | 1043.9 km |
| Papatoetoe | 1044.3 km |
| Gisborne | 1055.4 km |
| Rotorua | 1073.8 km |
| Hamilton | 1089.1 km |
| Napier City | 1178.8 km |
| Hastings | 1195.8 km |
| New Plymouth | 1266.1 km |
| Whanganui | 1298.1 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
56.6 km
M 5.8
Kermadec Islands
New Zealand · 2026-08-30 09:02 UTC
39.7 km
M 4.9
Kermadec Islands
New Zealand · 2026-07-25 21:39 UTC
48.2 km
M 5.0
Kermadec Islands
New Zealand · 2026-07-22 21:03 UTC
19.2 km
M 4.9
Kermadec Islands
New Zealand · 2026-07-22 20:07 UTC
88.2 km
M 4.8
Kermadec Islands region
Unknown · 2026-07-22 15:45 UTC
92.1 km
M 4.9
Kermadec Islands
New Zealand · 2026-07-22 15:39 UTC
56.6 km
M 5.6
Kermadec Islands region
Unknown · 2026-07-21 12:14 UTC
94.1 km
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