World Map › Major Earthquakes Since 1900 › 1981
Historic Earthquake
1981 New Zealand Earthquake
25 May 1981 · W of North Island · New Zealand
On 25 May 1981 at 05:25 UTC, a magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck New Zealand (W of North Island), at a depth of 33 km. It occurred on the Pacific Plate, 18 km from its boundary with the Australian Plate (subduction zone). It triggered a tsunami.
- Date
- 25 May 1981
- Time
- 05:25 UTC
- Magnitude
- 7.6
- Depth
- 33 km
- Tsunami
- Yes
- Plate
- Pacific Plate
- Country
- New Zealand
Nearby Major Earthquakes
Other major earthquakes recorded within 300 km.
- 2007Auckland Islands · M 7.4
- 20042004 Tasman Sea Earthquake · M 8.1
- 2004Invercargill, Southland · M 7.1
- 1979W of North Island · M 7.5
- 1926Macquarie Island, North Of · M 7.9
Sources: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Global Significant Earthquake Database (doi:10.7289/V5TD9V7K) · Wikidata · Bird (2003), PB2002 · Natural Earth