Mag. 4.5 earthquake – 36 km northwest of Āwash, Āfar, Ethiopia, on Wednesday, Jan 8, 2025, at 11:27 am (Addis Ababa time)
Updated: Jan 8, 2025 13:38 GMT
I felt this quake
Quake Data | Interactive map | Seismograms | User reports | Aftershocks | Earlier quakes here | Quakes in or near Ethiopia | Āfar | Oromiya | Amhara
Hint: Click on the image to see different maps of this quake!
Moderate magnitude 4.5 earthquake at 10 km depth
8 Jan 09:20 UTC: First to report: GFZ after 53 minutes.
I didn’t feel it
I felt this quake
Earthquake details
| Date & time | Jan 8, 2025 08:27:39 UTC – 6 hours ago |
| Local time at epicenter | Wednesday, Jan 8, 2025, at 11:27 am (Africa/Addis Ababa GMT +3) |
| Status | Preliminary (automatic detection) |
| Magnitude | 4.5 |
| Depth | 10 km |
| Epicenter latitude / longitude | 9.282°N / 40.008°E Āfar, Ethiopia |
| Seismic antipode | 9.282°S / 139.992°W French Polynesia |
| Shaking intensity | V Moderate shaking near epicenter |
| Felt | 2 reports |
| Primary data source | GFZ (German Research Centre for Geosciences) |
| Nearest volcano | Dofen (15 km / 9 mi) |
| Weather at epicenter at time of quake | Clear Sky  28.3°C (83 F), humidity: 36%, wind: 4 m/s (7 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
[smaller] [bigger]
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 68 km (42 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, 141 km (88 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36 km (23 mi)SE of epicenter | Āwash(pop: 36,500) | III: Weak | Āfar | Ethiopia |
| 44 km (27 mi)S of epicenter | Metehara(pop: 23,400) | III: Weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 68 km (42 mi)NW of epicenter | Debre Birhan(pop: 57,800) | III: Weak | Amhara | Ethiopia |
| 69 km (43 mi)NW of epicenter | Debre Sīna(pop: 9,410) | III: Weak | Amhara | Ethiopia |
| 76 km (47 mi)SE of epicenter | Gelemso(pop: 16,100) | III: Weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 78 km (49 mi)N of epicenter | Abomsa(pop: 15,300) | III: Weak | Amhara | Ethiopia |
| 95 km (59 mi)SE of epicenter | Bedēsa(pop: 17,500) | III: Weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 97 km (60 mi)E of epicenter | Āsbe Teferī(pop: 30,800) | III: Weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 115 km (72 mi)SW of epicenter | Nazrēt(pop: 214,000) | II: Very weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 121 km (75 mi)NE of epicenter | Gewanē(pop: 11,300) | II: Very weak | Āfar | Ethiopia |
| 122 km (76 mi)SW of epicenter | Wenjī(pop: 17,100) | II: Very weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 124 km (77 mi)SW of epicenter | Mojo(pop: 34,500) | II: Very weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 128 km (79 mi)SW of epicenter | Bishoftu(pop: 197,600) | II: Very weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 141 km (88 mi)W of epicenter | Addis Ababa(pop: 2,757,700) | II: Very weak | Addis Ababa | Ethiopia |
| 151 km (94 mi)W of epicenter | Fichē(pop: 25,800) | II: Very weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 158 km (98 mi)W of epicenter | Sebeta(pop: 19,500) | II: Very weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 160 km (100 mi)N of epicenter | Kemisē(pop: 23,900) | II: Very weak | Amhara | Ethiopia |
| 167 km (104 mi)W of epicenter | Holeta(pop: 23,800) | II: Very weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 186 km (115 mi)W of epicenter | Gebre Guracha(pop: 16,600) | II: Very weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 202 km (126 mi)N of epicenter | Cambolcia(pop: 125,700) | II: Very weak | Amhara | Ethiopia |
| 207 km (128 mi)SW of epicenter | Ziway(pop: 49,400) | II: Very weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 207 km (128 mi)E of epicenter | Dire Dawa(pop: 252,300) | II: Very weak | Dire Dawa | Ethiopia |
| 210 km (130 mi)N of epicenter | Dessie(pop: 136,100) | II: Very weak | Amhara | Ethiopia |
| 212 km (132 mi)N of epicenter | Batī(pop: 19,300) | II: Very weak | Amhara | Ethiopia |
| 222 km (138 mi)SW of epicenter | Butajīra(pop: 30,500) | II: Very weak | SNNPR | Ethiopia |
| 232 km (144 mi)E of epicenter | Kharar(pop: 90,200) | II: Very weak | Harari | Ethiopia |
| 237 km (147 mi)NW of epicenter | Bichena(pop: 16,400) | II: Very weak | Amhara | Ethiopia |
| 239 km (149 mi)W of epicenter | Hāgere Hiywet(pop: 43,900) | II: Very weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 239 km (149 mi)W of epicenter | Walliso(pop: 38,400) | II: Very weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 251 km (156 mi)S of epicenter | Ghinnir(pop: 16,800) | II: Very weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 252 km (157 mi)S of epicenter | Goba(pop: 34,400) | II: Very weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 258 km (161 mi)S of epicenter | Āsasa(pop: 23,800) | II: Very weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 276 km (172 mi)NW of epicenter | Debre Mark’os(pop: 59,900) | II: Very weak | Amhara | Ethiopia |
| 279 km (173 mi)SW of epicenter | Shashamane(pop: 85,900) | II: Very weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 297 km (184 mi)NE of epicenter | Dubti(pop: 26,400) | II: Very weak | Āfar | Ethiopia |
| 299 km (186 mi)NE of epicenter | Assayita(pop: 20,300) | II: Very weak | Āfar | Ethiopia |
| 299 km (186 mi)SW of epicenter | Awasa(pop: 133,100) | II: Very weak | SNNPR | Ethiopia |
| 300 km (186 mi)N of epicenter | Semera(pop: 833) | II: Very weak | Āfar | Ethiopia |
| 305 km (190 mi)SW of epicenter | Hosa’ina(pop: 76,000) | II: Very weak | SNNPR | Ethiopia |
| 307 km (190 mi)E of epicenter | Jijiga(pop: 56,800) | II: Very weak | Somali | Ethiopia |
Notes:
(*) Shaking intensity according to the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale (MMI) and estimated using seismic models.
User-reports for this quake (5)
So far, we have received 5 reports for this quake from Ethiopia. Out of these, 2 people indicated they felt it. The quake was reported to have been felt in up to approx. 120–140 km (75–87 mi) distance.
Most reports came from Bishoftu (1 report), a city with more than 200,000 inhabitants in Oromiya in 128 km (79 mi) distance southwest of the epicenter, Ethiopia, and Addis Ababa (1 report) (141 km or 88 mi to the west), the capital of Ethiopia with 2,800,000 inhabitants. 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.
Translate
148.8 km WNW of epicenter [Map] / not felt (reported through our app)
Addis Ababa (141.6 km WSW of epicenter) [Map] / not felt (reported through our app)
Addis Ababa (137.6 km WSW of epicenter) [Map] / Weak shaking (MMI III) (reported through our app)
near Bishoftu, Oromiya (112 km WSW of epicenter) [Map] / Weak shaking (MMI III) (reported through our app)
Addis Ababa (141.1 km WSW of epicenter) [Map] / not felt
List of cities/places with most reports
| Place | Distance from epicenter | Average reported Shaking Intensity | Nr. of reports |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bishoftu, Oromiya, Ethiopia(Pop.: 197,557) | 128 km (79 mi)SW of epicenter | III: Weak shaking | 1 |
| Addis Ababa, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia(Pop.: 2,757,729) | 141 km (88 mi)W of epicenter | III: Weak shaking | 1 |
Note: Only reports with latitude/longitude coordinate positions given (5 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 (*) |
|---|---|---|---|
| I: Not felt | 3 | 141–149 km (88–92 mi) | 144 km (89 mi) |
| III: Weak shaking | 2 | 112–137 km (69–85 mi) | 125 km (77 mi) |
Notes
(*) Reports are filtered to exclude those that are likely highly inaccurate or esaggerated.
Only reports with latitude/longitude coordinate positions given (5 in total) could be used for geographic statistics.
I didn’t feel it
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!
If you did NOT feel the quake although you were in the area, please report it as well! Your contribution is valuable to earthquake science and seismic hazard analysis.
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 GMT2025-01-8 | Epicenter | Agency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.5 | 10 km6.2 mi(*) | 08:27:39 | Ethiopia | GFZ (German Research Centre for Geosciences) |
| 4.7 | 10 km6.2 mi(*) | 08:27:39 | Ethiopia9.3 km (5.8 mi) epicenter difference with GFZ | EMSC (European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre) |
| 4.5 | 10 km6.2 mi(*) | 08:27:39 | Ethiopia0.3 km (0.2 mi) epicenter difference with GFZ | RaspberryShake (RaspberryShake) |
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: 152 km / 94 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 8, 2025 11:27 am (Addis Ababa) 5 hours ago – felt | 4.5 10 km | 0 km – This quake | EthiopiaMain Shock (this quake) | More |
Map of aftershocks
Earthquake statistics
Average number of earthquakes
Based on data from the past 55 years and our earthquake archive back to 1900, there are about 3.7 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 41.7 years)
- Mag. 5 or higher: 0.02 quakes per year (or 1 quake every 41.7 years)
- Mag. 4 or higher: 3.7 quakes per year
- Mag. 3 or higher: 3.7 quakes per year
- Mag. 2 or higher: 3.7 quakes per year
The area where this quake occurred has relatively few earthquakes. However, It has had at least 3 quakes above magnitude 6 since 1900, which suggests that larger earthquakes of this size occur infrequently, probably on average approximately every 40 to 45 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 8 hours after a magnitude 5.3 earthquake had hit on Wednesday, Jan 8, 2025, at 03:53 am local time (Africa/Addis Ababa GMT +3) in 26 km (16 mi) distance to the east:
Mag. 5.3 earthquake 24 km north of Āwash – Āfar, Ethiopia –
The largest quake near the epicenter of this quake during the 10 years before was an event of magnitude 5.7. It had occurred 4 days earlier, on Saturday, Jan 4, 2025, at 03:52 am local time (Africa/Addis Ababa GMT +3) in Āfar, Ethiopia
:
Mag. 5.7 earthquake 54 km N of Āwash – Ethiopia –
The strongest-ever (since 1900) recorded quake in this area measured magnitude 6.0. It had occurred 86 years ago earlier, on Sunday, Oct 23, 1938, at 05:28 am local time (Africa/Addis Ababa GMT +3) in Āfar, Ethiopia
:
Mag. 6.0 earthquake Āfar – Amhara, Ethiopia – Oct 23, 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.