Mag. 4.5 earthquake – 55 km southeast of Debre Birhan, Amhara, Ethiopia, on Thursday, Jan 2, 2025, at 01:02 pm (Addis Ababa time)
Updated: Jan 2, 2025 11:41 GMT
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Moderate magnitude 4.5 earthquake at 10 km depth
2 Jan 10:21 UTC: First to report: EMSC after 18 minutes.
2 Jan 10:21: Now using data updates from USGS
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Earthquake details
| Date & time | Jan 2, 2025 10:02:56 UTC – 1 hour 48 minutes ago |
| Local time at epicenter | Thursday, Jan 2, 2025, at 01:02 pm (Africa/Addis Ababa GMT +3) |
| Status | Confirmed |
| Magnitude | 4.5 |
| Depth | 10 km |
| Epicenter latitude / longitude | 9.3029°N / 39.8596°E Amhara, Ethiopia |
| Seismic antipode | 9.3029°S / 140.14°W French Polynesia |
| Shaking intensity | V Moderate shaking near epicenter |
| Felt | 6 reports |
| Primary data source | USGS (United States Geological Survey) |
| Nearest volcano | Dofen (30 km / 19 mi) |
| Weather at epicenter at time of quake | Scattered Clouds  26.3°C (79 F), humidity: 42%, wind: 6 m/s (12 kts) from NE |
| 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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Most recent quakes Top 20 past 24 hrs Quakes in Ethiopia
Nearby places
The closest larger town where the quake might have been felt is Debre Birhan, a town with 58,000 inhabitants in Ethiopia, in 55 km (34 mi) distance northwest of the epicenter. People likely experienced weak shaking there. Several smaller towns and villages are located closer to the epicenter and might have experienced stronger shaking. In the capital of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, 126 km (78 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 45 km (28 mi)S of epicenter | Metehara(pop: 23,400) | III: Weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 48 km (30 mi)SE of epicenter | Āwash(pop: 36,500) | III: Weak | Āfar | Ethiopia |
| 55 km (34 mi)NW of epicenter | Debre Birhan(pop: 57,800) | III: Weak | Amhara | Ethiopia |
| 62 km (38 mi)N of epicenter | Debre Sīna(pop: 9,410) | III: Weak | Amhara | Ethiopia |
| 77 km (48 mi)N of epicenter | Abomsa(pop: 15,300) | III: Weak | Amhara | Ethiopia |
| 90 km (56 mi)SE of epicenter | Gelemso(pop: 16,100) | III: Weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 93 km (58 mi)W of epicenter | Sendafa(pop: 7,330) | III: Weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 106 km (66 mi)SW of epicenter | Nazrēt(pop: 214,000) | III: Weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 111 km (69 mi)SE of epicenter | Bedēsa(pop: 17,500) | III: Weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 113 km (70 mi)E of epicenter | Āsbe Teferī(pop: 30,800) | III: Weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 114 km (71 mi)SW of epicenter | Mojo(pop: 34,500) | II: Very weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 114 km (71 mi)SW of epicenter | Wenjī(pop: 17,100) | II: Very weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 115 km (71 mi)SW of epicenter | Bishoftu(pop: 197,600) | II: Very weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 126 km (78 mi)W of epicenter | Addis Ababa(pop: 2,757,700) | II: Very weak | Addis Ababa | Ethiopia |
| 135 km (84 mi)NW of epicenter | Fichē(pop: 25,800) | II: Very weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 143 km (89 mi)W of epicenter | Sebeta(pop: 19,500) | II: Very weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 152 km (94 mi)W of epicenter | Holeta(pop: 23,800) | II: Very weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 157 km (98 mi)N of epicenter | Kemisē(pop: 23,900) | II: Very weak | Amhara | Ethiopia |
| 169 km (105 mi)W of epicenter | Gebre Guracha(pop: 16,600) | II: Very weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 197 km (123 mi)SW of epicenter | Ziway(pop: 49,400) | II: Very weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 198 km (123 mi)N of epicenter | Cambolcia(pop: 125,700) | II: Very weak | Amhara | Ethiopia |
| 205 km (127 mi)N of epicenter | Dessie(pop: 136,100) | II: Very weak | Amhara | Ethiopia |
| 211 km (131 mi)SW of epicenter | Butajīra(pop: 30,500) | II: Very weak | SNNPR | Ethiopia |
| 211 km (131 mi)N of epicenter | Batī(pop: 19,300) | II: Very weak | Amhara | Ethiopia |
| 222 km (138 mi)NW of epicenter | Bichena(pop: 16,400) | II: Very weak | Amhara | Ethiopia |
| 223 km (138 mi)E of epicenter | Dire Dawa(pop: 252,300) | II: Very weak | Dire Dawa | Ethiopia |
| 224 km (139 mi)W of epicenter | Hāgere Hiywet(pop: 43,900) | II: Very weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 225 km (140 mi)SW of epicenter | Walliso(pop: 38,400) | II: Very weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 248 km (154 mi)E of epicenter | Kharar(pop: 90,200) | II: Very weak | Harari | Ethiopia |
| 255 km (158 mi)S of epicenter | Goba(pop: 34,400) | II: Very weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 256 km (159 mi)S of epicenter | Āsasa(pop: 23,800) | II: Very weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 258 km (160 mi)S of epicenter | Ghinnir(pop: 16,800) | II: Very weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 261 km (162 mi)NW of epicenter | Debre Mark’os(pop: 59,900) | II: Very weak | Amhara | Ethiopia |
| 272 km (169 mi)SW of epicenter | Shashamane(pop: 85,900) | II: Very weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 292 km (181 mi)SW of epicenter | Awasa(pop: 133,100) | II: Very weak | SNNPR | Ethiopia |
| 294 km (183 mi)SW of epicenter | Hosa’ina(pop: 76,000) | II: Very weak | SNNPR | Ethiopia |
| 295 km (183 mi)SW of epicenter | Alaba(pop: 25,600) | II: Very weak | SNNPR | Ethiopia |
| 357 km (222 mi)SW of epicenter | Sodo(pop: 86,100) | I: Not felt | SNNPR | Ethiopia |
| 371 km (231 mi)NW of epicenter | Bahir Dar(pop: 168,900) | I: Not felt | Amhara | Ethiopia |
Notes:
(*) Shaking intensity according to the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale (MMI) and estimated using seismic models.
User-reports for this quake (6)
So far, we have received 6 reports for this quake from Ethiopia. The quake was reported to have been felt in up to approx. 130 km (81 mi) distance.
Most reports came from Addis Ababa (4 reports), the capital of Ethiopia with 2,800,000 inhabitants in 126 km (78 mi) distance west of the epicenter, and Āwash (2 reports) (48 km or 30 mi to the southeast), a town with 37,000 inhabitants in Āfar. Further below is a list of places where most people reported this quake.
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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Leave a comment if you find a particular report interesting or want to add to it.
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near Addis Ababa (127.1 km WSW of epicenter) [Map] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 2-5 s : I saw the door shaking slightly and felt it on my chair as I was seating | One user found this interesting.
Addis Ababa (122.1 km WSW of epicenter) [Map] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / very short (reported through our app)
Āwash (47.5 km SE of epicenter) [Map] / Light shaking (MMI IV) (reported through our app)
34 km of Āwash (21.1 km E of epicenter) [Map] / Light shaking (MMI IV) (reported through our app)
Addis Ababa, Kaliti maseltegna (127.1 km WSW of epicenter) [Map] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) : While I was seeting there was a mear by door shaking and felt it in my chair too
Addis Ababa Ethiopia (122.7 km WSW of epicenter) [Map] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) : Seating on 5th floor of an apartment on a couch felt a slight movement
List of cities/places with most reports
| Place | Distance from epicenter | Average reported Shaking Intensity | Nr. of reports |
|---|---|---|---|
| Addis Ababa, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia(Pop.: 2,757,729) | 126 km (78 mi)W of epicenter | II: Very weak shaking | 4 |
| Āwash, Āfar, Ethiopia(Pop.: 36,500) | 48 km (30 mi)SE of epicenter | IV: Light shaking | 2 |
Note: Only reports with latitude/longitude coordinate positions given (6 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 (*) |
|---|---|---|---|
| II: Very weak shaking | 3 | 122–127 km (76–79 mi) | 124 km (77 mi) |
| III: Weak shaking | 1 | 127–127 km (79–79 mi) | 127 km (79 mi) |
| IV: Light shaking | 2 | 21–47 km (13.1–30 mi) | 34 km (21 mi) |
Notes
(*) Reports are filtered to exclude those that are likely highly inaccurate or esaggerated.
Only reports with latitude/longitude coordinate positions given (6 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 GMT2025-01-2 | Epicenter | Agency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.5 | 10 km6.2 mi(*) | 10:02:56 | 45 km N of Metahāra, Ethiopia | USGS (United States Geological Survey) |
| 4.5 | 10 km6.2 mi(*) | 10:02:54 | Ethiopia26 km (16 mi) epicenter difference with USGS | EMSC (European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre) |
| 4.5 | 10 km6.2 mi(*) | 10:02:56 | Ethiopia0 km (0 mi) epicenter difference with USGS | IRIS (Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology) |
| 4.9 | 10 km6.2 mi(*) | 10:02:54 | Ethiopia26 km (16 mi) epicenter difference with USGS | GFZ (German Research Centre for Geosciences) |
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: 137 km / 85 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 2, 2025 01:02 pm (Addis Ababa) 1 hour and 39 minutes ago – felt | 4.5 10 km | 0 km – This quake | 55 km SE of Debre Birhan, Amhara, EthiopiaMain Shock (this quake) | More |
Map of aftershocks
Earthquake statistics
Average number of earthquakes
Based on data from the past 15 years and our earthquake archive back to 1900, there are about 10.1 quakes on average per year in the area near the epicenter of this quake (within 100 km/61 mi):
- Mag. 6 or higher: 0.03 quakes per year (or 1 quake every 31.3 years)
- Mag. 5 or higher: 0.16 quakes per year (or 1 quake every 6.2 years)
- Mag. 4 or higher: 10 quakes per year
- Mag. 3 or higher: 10 quakes per year
- Mag. 2 or higher: 10 quakes per year
The area where this quake occurred has a moderate level of seismic activity. However, It has had at least 4 quakes above magnitude 6 since 1900, which suggests that larger earthquakes of this size occur infrequently, probably on average approximately every 30 to 35 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 21 minutes after a magnitude 5.1 earthquake had hit on Thursday, Jan 2, 2025, at 10:41 am local time (Africa/Addis Ababa GMT +3) in 33 km (21 mi) distance to the east:
Mag. 5.1 earthquake 36 km N of Āwash – Ethiopia – 4 hours agoThis was also the strongest quake in this area in at least 10 years. The strongest-ever (since 1900) recorded quake in this area measured magnitude 6.0. It had occurred 64 years ago earlier, on Friday, Jun 2, 1961, at 07:51 am local time (Africa/Addis Ababa GMT +3) in Amhara, Ethiopia:
Mag. 6.0 earthquake 31 km northwest of Abomsa – Amhara, Ethiopia – Jun 2, 1961 – 64 years agoBelow 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. Max results10 2050100 All Magnitude All2+ 3+4+5+ 6+7+8+ Time before 48 hours 1 week 30 days 1 year 5 years 30 years Any age
| Date and Time | Mag Depth | Distance | Location | Details | Map |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 2, 10:41 am (Addis Ababa)4 hours ago2 hours 21 minutes earlier | 5.1 10 km | 33 km (21 mi) to the E | 36 km N of Āwash, Ethiopia I FELT IT – 50 reports | Info | |
| Jan 2, 06:17 am (Addis Ababa)9 hours ago7 hours earlier | 4.2 10 km | 33 km (21 mi) to the SE | 16 km WNW of Āwash, Ethiopia I FELT IT – 1 report | Info | |
| Jan 1, 06:26 pm (Addis Ababa)20 hours ago19 hours earlier | 4.9 10 km | 33 km (20 mi) to the E | 22 km N of Āwash, Ethiopia I FELT IT – 24 reports | Info | |
| Jan 1, 05:38 pm (Addis Ababa)21 hours ago19 hours earlier | 4.6 10 km | 81 km (50 mi) to the S | 36 km S of Metahāra, Ethiopia I FELT IT – 11 reports | Info | |
| Jan 1, 12:56 pm (Addis Ababa)1 day 2 hours ago1 day 0 hour earlier | 4.6 10 km | 25 km (16 mi) to the SE | 26 km NNW of Āwash, Ethiopia I FELT IT – 20 reports | Info | |
| Jan 1, 11:56 am (Addis Ababa)1 day 3 hours ago1 day 1 hours earlier | 4.5 10 km | 24 km (15 mi) to the SE | 26 km northwest of Āwash, Āfar, Ethiopia I FELT IT – 2 reports | Info | |
| Jan 1, 11:09 am (Addis Ababa)1 day 4 hours ago1 day 2 hours earlier | 4.8 10 km | 38 km (24 mi) to the SE | 13 km NNW of Āwash, Ethiopia I FELT IT – 9 reports | Info | |
| Jan 1, 09:45 am (Addis Ababa)1 day 5 hours ago1 day 3 hours earlier | 4.4 10 km | 33 km (20 mi) to the SE | 15 km northwest of Āwash, Āfar, Ethiopia I FELT IT – 1 report | Info | |
| Jan 1, 06:27 am (Addis Ababa)1 day 8 hours ago1 day 7 hours earlier | 4.5 10 km | 23 km (15 mi) to the SE | 25 km NW of Āwash, Ethiopia I FELT IT – 12 reports | Info | |
| Dec 23, 2024 04:13 am (Addis Ababa)10 days ago | 4.6 10.2 km | 47 km (29 mi) to the SE | 5 km WSW of Āwash, Ethiopia 10 reports | Info | |
| Nov 3, 2024 12:04 am (Addis Ababa)9 weeks ago | 4.7 10 km | 28 km (17 mi) to the E | 29 km NNW of Āwash, Ethiopia 15 reports | Info | |
| Nov 2, 2024 12:13 am (Addis Ababa)9 weeks ago | 4.6 10 km | 58 km (36 mi) to the SE | 8 km SE of Āwash, Ethiopia 22 reports | Info | |
| Nov 1, 2024 09:55 pm (Addis Ababa)9 weeks ago | 4.6 10 km | 45 km (28 mi) to the SE | Āfar, 20 km east of Metehara, Oromiya, Ethiopia 21 reports | Info | |
| Oct 26, 2024 03:22 pm (Addis Ababa)10 weeks ago | 4.8 10 km | 25 km (16 mi) to the S | 20 km N of Metahāra, Ethiopia 1 report | Info | |
| Oct 26, 2024 03:21 pm (Addis Ababa)10 weeks ago | 4.7 10 km | 24 km (15 mi) to the S | 21 km N of Metahāra, Ethiopia 19 reports | Info | |
| Oct 17, 09:10 am (GMT +0)11 weeks ago | 4.7 10 km | 36 km (22 mi) to the SE | Ethiopia 19 reports | Info | |
| Oct 16, 11:11 pm (Addis Ababa)11 weeks ago | 4.6 10 km | 37 km (23 mi) to the SE | 17 km N of Āwash, Ethiopia 89 reports | Info | |
| Oct 6, 08:10 pm (Addis Ababa)13 weeks ago | 4.9 10 km | 54 km (34 mi) to the E | 23 km NE of Āwash, Ethiopia 665 reports | Info | |
| Sep 27, 2024 07:36 am (Addis Ababa)14 weeks ago | 4.9 10 km | 47 km (29 mi) to the SE | 10 km WSW of Āwash, Ethiopia 3 reports | Info | |
| Oct 8, 2023 07:37 am (Addis Ababa)1 year 13 weeks ago | 4.8 10 km | 22 km (14 mi) to the S | Ethiopia | Info | |
| Oct 29, 2015 03:35 am (Addis Ababa)9 years ago | 4.4 10 km | 37 km (23 mi) to the S | Ethiopia | Info | |
| Sep 19, 2009 08:56 pm (Addis Ababa)15 years ago | 4.5 10 km | 46 km (28 mi) to the NE | Āfar, 72 km east of Debre Birhan, Amhara, Ethiopia | Info | |
| May 11, 1989 11:53 pm (Addis Ababa)36 years ago | 4.9 10 km | 42 km (26 mi) to the S | Harari, 8.8 km northeast of Metehara, Oromiya, Ethiopia | Info | |
| Oct 28, 1985 03:08 pm (Addis Ababa)39 years ago | 4.7 10 km | 29 km (18 mi) to the NW | Ethiopia | Info | |
| Feb 25, 1974 07:05 pm (Addis Ababa)51 years ago | 4.5 33 km | 63 km (39 mi) to the N | Ethiopia | Info | |
| Jun 2, 1961 10:02 am (Addis Ababa)64 years ago | 5.6 15 km | 74 km (46 mi) to the N | Ethiopia | Info | |
| Jun 2, 1961 07:51 am (Addis Ababa)64 years ago | 6.0 20 km | 96 km (60 mi) to the N | Ethiopia | Info | |
| Oct 23, 1938 05:28 am (Addis Ababa)86 years ago | 6.0 15 km | 94 km (58 mi) to the NE | Āfar, 48 km east of Abomsa, Amhara, Ethiopia | Info | |
| Oct 20, 1938 04:15 pm (Addis Ababa)86 years ago | 6.0 15 km | 48 km (30 mi) to the N | 28 km ESE of Debre S?na, Ethiopia | Info | |
| Sep 18, 1938 03:38 am (Addis Ababa)86 years ago | 6.0 15 km | 63 km (39 mi) to the E | 47 km NE of ?wash, Ethiopia | Info |
Map of earlier quakes in the area of this quake
Max results10 2050100 All Magnitude All2+ 3+4+5+ 6+7+8+ Time before 48 hours 1 week 30 days 1 year 5 years 30 years Any age
100 km
50 mi
Leaflet | © Esri— Sources: GEBCO, NOAA, CHS, OSU, UNH, CSUMB, National Geographic, DeLorme, NAVTEQ, and Esri
Overview – Mag. 4.5 Quake
Earthquake Details and Map
Nearby places
User-reports for this quake (6)
Compare Quake Data
Seismograms
Aftershocks for this quake
Earthquake statistics
Previous Quakes Nearby