| Magnitude | 5.3 |
| Alert | Strong |
| Depth | 33.0 km |
| Coordinates | -34.375, -179.613 |
| UTC time | 1996-12-31 03:05:13.460 |
Earthquake details
Tuesday, December 31, 1996 Earthquake
The earthquake hit south of the Kermadec Islands on Tuesday, December 31, 1996 at 03:05 UTC with a magnitude of 5.3. The closest known location in the current dataset is Gisborne, about 521.7 km away. The epicenter is located at longitude -179.613 and latitude -34.375.
| Location | south of the Kermadec Islands |
| Country | south of the Kermadec Islands |
| Severity | Strong |
Earthquake map 1996-12-31
Closest countries
The 12 closest cities near the epicenter.
| Gisborne | 521.7 km |
| Tauranga | 529.2 km |
| Rotorua | 560.0 km |
| Whangarei | 572.7 km |
| Manukau | 576.8 km |
| Auckland | 578.5 km |
| Papatoetoe | 578.6 km |
| Hamilton | 595.5 km |
| Napier City | 648.0 km |
| Hastings | 664.8 km |
| New Plymouth | 767.2 km |
| Whanganui | 778.8 km |
Nearby earthquakes
The latest 8 earthquakes within 100 km of this epicenter.
M 4.9
south of the Kermadec Islands
Unknown · 2026-06-19 23:11 UTC
95.7 km
M 4.6
south of the Kermadec Islands
Unknown · 2026-06-12 10:31 UTC
50.4 km
M 4.3
south of the Kermadec Islands
Unknown · 2026-05-29 12:59 UTC
78.8 km
M 4.8
south of the Kermadec Islands
Unknown · 2026-04-23 17:46 UTC
63.7 km
M 4.9
off the east coast of the North Island of New Zealand
Unknown · 2026-03-22 17:06 UTC
98.9 km
M 4.2
off the east coast of the North Island of New Zealand
Unknown · 2026-03-19 01:33 UTC
89.2 km
M 4.4
south of the Kermadec Islands
Unknown · 2026-03-11 19:33 UTC
45.5 km
M 5.2
south of the Kermadec Islands
Unknown · 2026-03-11 06:26 UTC
85.6 km
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