Mag. 4.5 earthquake – 4 km S of Āwash, Ethiopia, on Tuesday, Dec 24, 2024, at 03:05 pm (Addis Ababa time) – 1 day 2 hours ago
Updated: Dec 25, 2024 13:36 GMT – 41 minutes ago refresh
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Moderate magnitude 4.5 earthquake at 10 km depth
24 Dec 12:46 UTC: First to report: VolcanoDiscovery after 41 minutes.
24 Dec 16:17: Now using data updates from EMSC
25 Dec 08:51: Magnitude recalculated from 4.7 to 4.5. Epicenter location corrected by 63 km (39 mi) towards NE.
25 Dec 08:51: Now using data updates from USGS
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I felt this quake
Earthquake details
| Date & time | Dec 24, 2024 12:05:16 UTC – 1 day 2 hours ago |
| Local time at epicenter | Tuesday, Dec 24, 2024, at 03:05 pm (Africa/Addis Ababa GMT +3) |
| Status | Confirmed (manually revised) |
| Magnitude | 4.5 |
| Depth | 10 km |
| Epicenter latitude / longitude | 8.9435°N / 40.1637°E Harari, Ethiopia |
| Seismic antipode | 8.9435°S / 139.836°W French Polynesia |
| Shaking intensity | V Moderate shaking near epicenter |
| Felt | 1 report |
| Primary data source | USGS (United States Geological Survey) |
| Nearest volcano | Fantale (26 km / 16 mi) |
| Estimated seismic energy released | 3.5 x 1011 joules (98.6 megawatt hours, equivalent to 84.8 tons of TNT) | about seismic energy |
500 km
500 mi
Leaflet | © Esri— Sources: GEBCO, NOAA, CHS, OSU, UNH, CSUMB, National Geographic, DeLorme, NAVTEQ, and Esri
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Nearby places
The closest larger town where the quake might have been felt is Āwash, a town with 37,000 inhabitants in Ethiopia, in 5.6 km (3.5 mi) distance north of the epicenter. People likely experienced light shaking there. In the capital of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, 156 km (97 mi) away from the epicenter, the earthquake was probably felt as very weak shaking.
The following table shows some of the places that might have been affected (or not) by the shaking.
Distance | Place | Max. shaking intensity(*) | Region | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 km (3 mi)N of epicenter | Āwash(pop: 36,500) | IV: Light | Āfar | Ethiopia |
| 28 km (17 mi)W of epicenter | Metehara(pop: 23,400) | IV: Light | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 41 km (26 mi)E of epicenter | Gelemso(pop: 16,100) | III: Weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 68 km (42 mi)E of epicenter | Bedēsa(pop: 17,500) | III: Weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 79 km (49 mi)E of epicenter | Āsbe Teferī(pop: 30,800) | III: Weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 102 km (64 mi)SW of epicenter | Sīrē(pop: 10,100) | III: Weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 107 km (67 mi)E of epicenter | Hīrna(pop: 12,300) | III: Weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 107 km (67 mi)NW of epicenter | Debre Birhan(pop: 57,800) | III: Weak | Amhara | Ethiopia |
| 108 km (67 mi)SW of epicenter | Nazrēt(pop: 214,000) | III: Weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 111 km (69 mi)SW of epicenter | Wenjī(pop: 17,100) | III: Weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 117 km (73 mi)N of epicenter | Abomsa(pop: 15,300) | II: Very weak | Amhara | Ethiopia |
| 121 km (75 mi)W of epicenter | Mojo(pop: 34,500) | II: Very weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 132 km (82 mi)W of epicenter | Bishoftu(pop: 197,600) | II: Very weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 156 km (97 mi)W of epicenter | Addis Ababa(pop: 2,757,700) | II: Very weak | Addis Ababa | Ethiopia |
| 170 km (106 mi)W of epicenter | Sebeta(pop: 19,500) | II: Very weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 183 km (114 mi)W of epicenter | Holeta(pop: 23,800) | II: Very weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 184 km (114 mi)NW of epicenter | Fichē(pop: 25,800) | II: Very weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 195 km (121 mi)SW of epicenter | Ziway(pop: 49,400) | II: Very weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 200 km (124 mi)N of epicenter | Kemisē(pop: 23,900) | II: Very weak | Amhara | Ethiopia |
| 200 km (124 mi)E of epicenter | Dire Dawa(pop: 252,300) | II: Very weak | Dire Dawa | Ethiopia |
| 210 km (130 mi)S of epicenter | Ghinnir(pop: 16,800) | II: Very weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 215 km (134 mi)S of epicenter | Goba(pop: 34,400) | II: Very weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 216 km (134 mi)NW of epicenter | Gebre Guracha(pop: 16,600) | II: Very weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 218 km (135 mi)SW of epicenter | Butajīra(pop: 30,500) | II: Very weak | SNNPR | Ethiopia |
| 219 km (136 mi)E of epicenter | Kharar(pop: 90,200) | II: Very weak | Harari | Ethiopia |
| 231 km (143 mi)SW of epicenter | Āsasa(pop: 23,800) | II: Very weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 242 km (151 mi)N of epicenter | Cambolcia(pop: 125,700) | II: Very weak | Amhara | Ethiopia |
| 246 km (153 mi)W of epicenter | Walliso(pop: 38,400) | II: Very weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 250 km (156 mi)N of epicenter | Dessie(pop: 136,100) | II: Very weak | Amhara | Ethiopia |
| 251 km (156 mi)N of epicenter | Batī(pop: 19,300) | II: Very weak | Amhara | Ethiopia |
| 254 km (158 mi)W of epicenter | Hāgere Hiywet(pop: 43,900) | II: Very weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 259 km (161 mi)SW of epicenter | Shashamane(pop: 85,900) | II: Very weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 273 km (170 mi)NW of epicenter | Bichena(pop: 16,400) | II: Very weak | Amhara | Ethiopia |
| 280 km (174 mi)SW of epicenter | Awasa(pop: 133,100) | II: Very weak | SNNPR | Ethiopia |
| 292 km (181 mi)SW of epicenter | Alaba(pop: 25,600) | II: Very weak | SNNPR | Ethiopia |
| 293 km (182 mi)E of epicenter | Jijiga(pop: 56,800) | II: Very weak | Somali | Ethiopia |
| 298 km (185 mi)SW of epicenter | Hosa’ina(pop: 76,000) | II: Very weak | SNNPR | Ethiopia |
| 309 km (192 mi)NW of epicenter | Debre Mark’os(pop: 59,900) | II: Very weak | Amhara | Ethiopia |
| 352 km (219 mi)SW of epicenter | Sodo(pop: 86,100) | I: Not felt | SNNPR | Ethiopia |
Notes:
(*) Shaking intensity according to the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale (MMI) and estimated using seismic models.
User-reports for this quake (1)
So far, we have received 1 report for this quake from Ethiopia.
It came from near Sendafa, a town with 7,300 inhabitants in Oromiya in 127 km (79 mi) distance west of the epicenter, Ethiopia.
This section is being updated as new data comes in.
User reports estimate the perceived ground shaking intensity according to the MMI (Modified Mercalli Intensity) scale.
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Sendafa, Oromiya (134.3 km W of epicenter) [Map] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / very short : I felt a the shake and look at the hanging lamp to make sure if that was really an earth quack and it was swinging and then looked at the door key it was swinging too. | 2 users found this interesting.
List of cities/places with most reports
| Place | Distance from epicenter | Average reported Shaking Intensity | Nr. of reports |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sendafa, Oromiya, Ethiopia(Pop.: 7,326) | 127 km (79 mi)W of epicenter | III: Weak shaking | 1 |
Note: Only reports with latitude/longitude coordinate positions given (1 in total) could be used for statistics.
What is Intensity and the Mercalli Intensity Scale?
The amount of shaking that occurs on the surface due to an earthquake is called the intensity. It is commonly measured on the so-called Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale (MMI) ranging from 1 (not felt) to 10 (extreme shaking), and given in Roman numerals as I,II,…IX, X, and often displayed with color codes ranging from light blue to dark red.
Earthquake intensity depends mainly on the magnitude and depth of the quake as well as the distance from the epicenter: The further away, the less shaking intensity occurs.
Read more about the MMI scale!
Number of reports by intensity
| Shaking intensity | Number of reports | Min-Max distance from epicenter (*) | Average distance (*) |
|---|---|---|---|
| III: Weak shaking | 1 | 134–134 km (83–83 mi) | 134 km (83 mi) |
Notes
(*) Reports are filtered to exclude those that are likely highly inaccurate or esaggerated.
Only reports with latitude/longitude coordinate positions given (1 in total) could be used for geographic statistics.
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I felt this quake
If you were near the epicenter and felt it, please share your experience and submit a short “I felt it” report! Other users would love to hear about it!
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Compare Quake Data
Data for the same earthquake as reported by different agencies
The more agencies report about the same quake and post similar data, the more confidence you can have in the data. It takes normally up to a few hours until earthquake parameters are calculated with near-optimum precision.
| Mag | Depth | Time GMT2024-12-24 | Epicenter | Agency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.5 | 10 km6.2 mi(*) | 12:05:16 | 4 km S of Āwash, Ethiopia | USGS (United States Geological Survey) |
| 4.5 | 10 km6.2 mi(*) | 12:05:15 | Ethiopia0 km (0 mi) epicenter difference with USGS | EMSC (European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre) |
Notes:
(*) A depth given as 10 km often means that the the depth of the quake could be not determined with sufficient accuracy.
Seismograms
Seismic station: Mt. Furi, Ethiopia (FURI/IU network) | Distance from quake: 163 km / 101 mi | Show on map | Station Info
Seismogram (vertical component) around time of quake. Thin dotted red line indicates time of quake. Seismic waves arrive some time later, depending on distance. Bandpass filter applied: 0.2-10.0 Hz. Source: IRIS Buffer of Uniform Data (BUD) webtool
Aftershocks for this quake
No aftershocks have been recorded so far. When aftershocks are detected, we will update this section.
What are aftershocks?
Larger earthquakes (above magnitude 5 or so) such as this one are usually followed by smaller ones known as aftershocks that occur in the same area during the days, weeks, months or even years after the main shock.
[More info]
What about this quake?
Based on its magnitude, the fault that was active during the quake likely ruptured beneath a surface of approx. 3 km2 (=1 sqare miles) as a first-order estimate. The length of the rupture zone thus was probably around 3 km (2 mi).
[More info]
Recorded aftershocks, latest first (0 quake)
Date and Time GMT | Mag Depth | Distance | Region | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 24, 2024 03:05 pm (Addis Ababa) 1 day 2 hours ago | 4.5 10 km | 0 km – This quake | 4 km S of Āwash, EthiopiaMain Shock (this quake) | More |
Map of aftershocks
Earthquake statistics
Average number of earthquakes
Based on data from the past 54 years and our earthquake archive back to 1900, there are about 2.9 quakes on average per year in the area near the epicenter of this quake (within 100 km/61 mi):
- Mag. 6 or higher: 0.02 quakes per year (or 1 quake every 62.5 years)
- Mag. 5 or higher: 0.02 quakes per year (or 1 quake every 62.5 years)
- Mag. 4 or higher: 2.9 quakes per year
- Mag. 3 or higher: 2.9 quakes per year
- Mag. 2 or higher: 2.9 quakes per year
The area where this quake occurred has relatively few earthquakes. However, It has had at least 2 quakes above magnitude 6 since 1900, which suggests that larger earthquakes of this size occur infrequently, probably on average approximately every 60 to 65 years.
Number of quakes per year
| Year | — |
|---|---|
| Earthquakes M2+ | — |
| Earthquakes M3+ | — |
| Earthquakes M4+ | — |
Previous quakes in the same area of this earthquake
The earthquake occurred 2 hours and 19 minutes after a magnitude 4.5 earthquake had hit on Tuesday, Dec 24, 2024, at 12:45 pm local time (Africa/Addis Ababa GMT +3) in 15.1 km (9 mi) distance to the southwest:
Mag. 4.5 earthquake Harari – Āfar, Ethiopia –
The largest quake near the epicenter of this quake during the 10 years before was an event of magnitude 4.9. It had occurred 16 hours earlier, on Monday, Dec 23, 2024, at 10:41 pm local time (Africa/Addis Ababa GMT +3) in Harari, Ethiopia
:
Mag. 4.9 earthquake Harari – Oromiya, Ethiopia –
The strongest-ever (since 1900) recorded quake in this area measured magnitude 6.0. It had occurred 86 years ago earlier, on Thursday, Oct 20, 1938, at 04:15 pm local time (Africa/Addis Ababa GMT +3) in Āfar, Ethiopia
:
Mag. 6.0 earthquake Āfar – Amhara, Ethiopia – Oct 20, 1938 –
Below is a list and map of (larger or recent) quakes that had occurred near the area of the epicenter before this earthquake (within up to 100 km/61 mi distance, up to 300 km/183 mi for very large quakes above mag. 7). Filter the list to limit the number to show, by magnitude or time before.
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On this page:
Overview – Mag. 4.5 Quake
Earthquake Details and Map
Nearby places
User-reports for this quake (1)
Compare Quake Data
Seismograms
Aftershocks for this quake
Earthquake statistics
Previous Quakes Nearby