M5.0 earthquake 150 km E of Tadine, New Caledonia

A magnitude 5.0 earthquake struck 150 km E of Tadine, New Caledonia on Sat, Feb 21, 1981, 12:06 AM GMT+11 (13:06 UTC), 15 km (9 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M5.9 134 km E of Tadine, New Caledonia. This one was a foreshock.

Mont-Dore forecast More in New Caledonia

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Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.

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The earthquake

Magnitude: 5.0 (mb), moderate
Local time: Sat, Feb 21, 1981, 12:06 AM GMT+11
UTC: 1981-02-20 13:06:16 UTC
Depth: 14.7 km (9.1 mi), shallow
Epicenter: 21.324° S, 169.308° E
Region: New Caledonia
Tsunami flag: No
Status: Reviewed by a seismologist

Did you feel it?

No one has reported feeling this quake to the USGS.

Nearest places

Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.

Mont-Dore, New CaledoniaPopulation 24,680. Forecast302 kmENE

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 2.0 and up: 14 in the 60 days after this one and 11 in the 30 days before it.

After

Before

Earthquakes today New Caledonia earthquakes Live radar here

Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event usp0001ca4. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 10:02 AM UTC.