M4.9 earthquake 145 km E of Tadine, New Caledonia

A magnitude 4.9 earthquake struck 145 km E of Tadine, New Caledonia on Sat, Feb 21, 1981, 3:48 AM GMT+11 (16:48 UTC), 33 km (21 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: 4.9 (mb, body-wave), light
Magnitude from: USGS National Earthquake Information Center
Local time: Sat, Feb 21, 1981, 3:48 AM GMT+11
UTC: 1981-02-20 16:48:17 UTC
Depth: 33.0 km (20.5 mi), shallow
Epicenter: 21.366° S, 169.269° 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.

How well it is located

Reviewed by a seismologist.

Depth from: OPERATOR_ASSIGNED

Nearest places

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

Mont-Dore, New CaledoniaPopulation 24,680. Forecast296 kmENE

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.9 and up: 13 in the 60 days after this one and 12 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 usp0001ca7. Read Sat, Oct 3, 2026, 1:39 PM UTC.