Updated: Jan 20, 2025 04:14 GMT – just now
I felt this quake
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Moderate magnitude 4.4 earthquake at 10 km depth
20 Jan 03:03 UTC: First to report: VolcanoDiscovery after 7 minutes.
20 Jan 03:25: Now using data updates from EMSC
20 Jan 03:26: Now using data updates from USGS
I didn’t feel it
I felt this quake
Earthquake details
| Date & time | Jan 20, 2025 02:56:38 UTC – 1 hour 18 minutes ago |
| Local time at epicenter | Monday, Jan 20, 2025, at 05:56 am (Africa/Addis Ababa GMT +3) |
| Status | Confirmed (manually revised) |
| Magnitude | 4.4 |
| Depth | 10 km |
| Epicenter latitude / longitude | 9.2889°N / 40.2495°E Āfar, Ethiopia |
| Seismic antipode | 9.2889°S / 139.751°W French Polynesia |
| Shaking intensity | IV Light shaking near epicenter |
| Felt | 1 report |
| Primary data source | USGS (United States Geological Survey) |
| Nearest volcano | Dofen (15 km / 9 mi) |
| Weather at epicenter at time of quake | Overcast Clouds  18.3°C (65 F), humidity: 41%, wind: 1 m/s (2 kts) from N |
| Estimated seismic energy released | 2.5 x 1011 joules (69.8 megawatt hours, equivalent to 60 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 90 km (56 mi) distance northwest of the epicenter. People likely experienced weak shaking there. Many smaller towns and villages are located closer to the epicenter and might have experienced stronger shaking. In the capital of 
Djibouti, Djibouti, 407 km (253 mi) away from the epicenter, the earthquake could not be felt.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 34 km (21 mi)S of epicenter | Āwash(pop: 36,500) | III: Weak | Āfar | Ethiopia |
| 57 km (35 mi)SW of epicenter | Metehara(pop: 23,400) | III: Weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 60 km (37 mi)SE of epicenter | Gelemso(pop: 16,100) | III: Weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 71 km (44 mi)E of epicenter | Āsbe Teferī(pop: 30,800) | III: Weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 73 km (45 mi)SE of epicenter | Bedēsa(pop: 17,500) | III: Weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 82 km (51 mi)NW of epicenter | Debre Sīna(pop: 9,410) | III: Weak | Amhara | Ethiopia |
| 83 km (51 mi)N of epicenter | Abomsa(pop: 15,300) | III: Weak | Amhara | Ethiopia |
| 90 km (56 mi)NW of epicenter | Debre Birhan(pop: 57,800) | III: Weak | Amhara | Ethiopia |
| 94 km (58 mi)E of epicenter | Hīrna(pop: 12,300) | III: Weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 107 km (66 mi)NE of epicenter | Gewanē(pop: 11,300) | II: Very weak | Āfar | Ethiopia |
| 136 km (84 mi)SW of epicenter | Nazrēt(pop: 214,000) | II: Very weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 141 km (88 mi)SW of epicenter | Wenjī(pop: 17,100) | II: Very weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 147 km (91 mi)SW of epicenter | Mojo(pop: 34,500) | II: Very weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 152 km (94 mi)SW of epicenter | Bishoftu(pop: 197,600) | II: Very weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 164 km (102 mi)N of epicenter | Kemisē(pop: 23,900) | II: Very weak | Amhara | Ethiopia |
| 168 km (104 mi)W of epicenter | Addis Ababa(pop: 2,757,700) | II: Very weak | Addis Ababa | Ethiopia |
| 176 km (109 mi)W of epicenter | Fichē(pop: 25,800) | II: Very weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 181 km (112 mi)E of epicenter | Dire Dawa(pop: 252,300) | II: Very weak | Dire Dawa | Ethiopia |
| 184 km (114 mi)W of epicenter | Sebeta(pop: 19,500) | II: Very weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 194 km (120 mi)W of epicenter | Holeta(pop: 23,800) | II: Very weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 205 km (127 mi)E of epicenter | Kharar(pop: 90,200) | II: Very weak | Harari | Ethiopia |
| 207 km (129 mi)N of epicenter | Cambolcia(pop: 125,700) | II: Very weak | Amhara | Ethiopia |
| 211 km (131 mi)W of epicenter | Gebre Guracha(pop: 16,600) | II: Very weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 213 km (132 mi)N of epicenter | Batī(pop: 19,300) | II: Very weak | Amhara | Ethiopia |
| 216 km (134 mi)N of epicenter | Dessie(pop: 136,100) | II: Very weak | Amhara | Ethiopia |
| 226 km (141 mi)SW of epicenter | Ziway(pop: 49,400) | II: Very weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 244 km (152 mi)S of epicenter | Ghinnir(pop: 16,800) | II: Very weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 245 km (152 mi)SW of epicenter | Butajīra(pop: 30,500) | II: Very weak | SNNPR | Ethiopia |
| 254 km (158 mi)S of epicenter | Goba(pop: 34,400) | II: Very weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 265 km (164 mi)W of epicenter | Walliso(pop: 38,400) | II: Very weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 266 km (165 mi)W of epicenter | Hāgere Hiywet(pop: 43,900) | II: Very weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 269 km (167 mi)SW of epicenter | Āsasa(pop: 23,800) | II: Very weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 280 km (174 mi)E of epicenter | Jijiga(pop: 56,800) | II: Very weak | Somali | Ethiopia |
| 285 km (177 mi)NE of epicenter | Assayita(pop: 20,300) | II: Very weak | Āfar | Ethiopia |
| 287 km (178 mi)N of epicenter | Dubti(pop: 26,400) | II: Very weak | Āfar | Ethiopia |
| 291 km (181 mi)N of epicenter | Semera(pop: 833) | II: Very weak | Āfar | Ethiopia |
| 295 km (183 mi)SW of epicenter | Shashamane(pop: 85,900) | I: Not felt | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 300 km (186 mi)NW of epicenter | Debre Mark’os(pop: 59,900) | I: Not felt | Amhara | Ethiopia |
| 315 km (196 mi)SW of epicenter | Awasa(pop: 133,100) | I: Not felt | SNNPR | Ethiopia |
| 407 km (253 mi)NE of epicenter | Djibouti(pop: 623,900) | I: Not felt | Djibouti | Djibouti |
Notes:
(*) Shaking intensity according to the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale (MMI) and estimated using seismic models.
User-reports for this quake (1)
The first report about ground shaking reached us after only 7 minutes, before other agencies reported it. So far, we have received 1 report for this quake from Ethiopia.
It came from near Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia with 2,800,000 inhabitants in 168 km (104 mi) distance west of the epicenter.
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
Addis Ababa,Ayat (167.4 km W of epicenter) [Map] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s
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) | 168 km (104 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 | 167–167 km (104–104 mi) | 167 km (104 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.
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 GMT2025-01-20 | Epicenter | Agency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.4 | 10 km6.2 mi(*) | 02:56:38 | 35 km NNE of Āwash, Ethiopia | USGS (United States Geological Survey) |
| 4.4 | 10 km6.2 mi(*) | 02:56:38 | Ethiopia0 km (0 mi) epicenter difference with USGS | EMSC (European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre) |
| 4.4 | 10 km6.2 mi(*) | 02:56:38 | Ethiopia0 km (0 mi) epicenter difference with USGS | IRIS (Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology) |
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: 178 km / 110 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 20, 2025 05:56 am (Addis Ababa) 1 hour and 18 minutes ago | 4.4 10 km | 0 km – This quake | 35 km NNE of Āwash, 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 22.7 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: 0.68 quakes per year (or 1 quake every 1.5 years)
- Mag. 4 or higher: 22 quakes per year
- Mag. 3 or higher: 22 quakes per year
- Mag. 2 or higher: 22 quakes per year
The area where this quake occurred has a high level of seismic activity. 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 2 days after a magnitude 4.5 earthquake had hit on Friday, Jan 17, 2025, at 08:18 pm local time (Africa/Addis Ababa GMT +3) in 40 km (25 mi) distance to the west:
Mag. 4.5 earthquake 37 km N of Metahāra – Ethiopia – 2 days agoThe largest quake near the epicenter of this quake during the 10 years before was an event of magnitude 5.7. It had occurred 2 weeks 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 – Jan 4, 2025 – 2 weeks agoThe 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 35 km SW of Gewan? – Ethiopia – Oct 23, 1938 – 86 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 17, 08:18 pm (Addis Ababa)2 days ago2 days earlier | 4.5 10 km | 40 km (25 mi) to the W | 37 km N of Metahāra, Ethiopia I FELT IT – 16 reports | Info | |
| Jan 17, 04:46 am (Addis Ababa)3 days ago3 days earlier | 4.7 10 km | 23 km (15 mi) to the NW | 47 km NNW of Āwash, Ethiopia I FELT IT – 84 reports | Info | |
| Jan 16, 11:24 pm (Addis Ababa)3 days ago3 days earlier | 4.7 10 km | 40 km (25 mi) to the S | 4 km SSW of Āwash, Ethiopia I FELT IT – 27 reports | Info | |
| Jan 16, 05:36 am (Addis Ababa)4 days ago4 days earlier | 4.5 10 km | 81 km (51 mi) to the S | 45 km SW of Gelemso, Ethiopia I FELT IT – 10 reports | Info | |
| Jan 16, 05:17 am (Addis Ababa)4 days ago4 days earlier | 4.4 10 km | 40 km (25 mi) to the W | 35 km N of Metahāra, Ethiopia I FELT IT – 5 reports | Info | |
| Jan 9, 01:07 am (Addis Ababa)11 days ago | 4.9 10 km | 15 km (9.4 mi) to the SW | 23 km N of Āwash, Ethiopia 53 reports | Info | |
| Jan 8, 03:53 am (Addis Ababa)12 days ago | 5.3 10 km | 41 km (25 mi) to the SW | 10 km W of Āwash, Ethiopia 22 reports | Info | |
| Jan 7, 11:25 am (Addis Ababa)13 days ago | 4.9 10 km | 54 km (34 mi) to the SW | 10 km NNW of Metahāra, Ethiopia 18 reports | Info | |
| Jan 4, 11:05 pm (Addis Ababa)2 weeks ago | 5.0 10 km | 12 km (7.7 mi) to the W | 31 km N of Āwash, Ethiopia 89 reports | Info | |
| Jan 4, 07:36 pm (Addis Ababa)2 weeks ago | 4.9 10 km | 96 km (59 mi) to the S | 52 km SSE of Metahāra, Ethiopia 46 reports | Info | |
| Jan 4, 03:52 am (Addis Ababa)2 weeks ago | 5.7 8 km | 24 km (15 mi) to the NW | 54 km N of Āwash, Ethiopia 581 reports | Info | |
| Jan 3, 08:01 pm (Addis Ababa)2 weeks ago | 5.5 10 km | 19 km (12 mi) to the E | 44 km NE of Āwash, Ethiopia 62 reports | Info | |
| Jan 3, 05:27 pm (Addis Ababa)2 weeks ago | 5.2 10 km | 35 km (22 mi) to the W | 37 km SSE of Abomsa, Ethiopia 51 reports | Info | |
| Jan 3, 12:18 am (Addis Ababa)2 weeks ago | 5.0 10 km | 29 km (18 mi) to the N | 63 km NNE of Āwash, Ethiopia 21 reports | Info | |
| Jan 2, 10:41 am (Addis Ababa)3 weeks ago | 5.1 10 km | 10.2 km (6.3 mi) to the W | 36 km N of Āwash, Ethiopia 64 reports | Info | |
| Dec 31, 2024 10:18 pm (Addis Ababa)3 weeks ago | 4.8 10 km | 19 km (12 mi) to the SW | 16 km N of Āwash, Ethiopia 114 reports | Info | |
| Dec 31, 2024 01:13 am (Addis Ababa)3 weeks ago | 4.8 10 km | 58 km (36 mi) to the N | 36 km ESE of Abomsa, Ethiopia 34 reports | Info | |
| Dec 30, 2024 08:48 am (Addis Ababa)3 weeks ago | 4.8 10 km | 57 km (35 mi) to the SW | Ethiopia | Info | |
| Dec 30, 2024 01:20 am (Addis Ababa)3 weeks ago | 5.1 10 km | 17 km (10.7 mi) to the W | 42 km N of Āwash, Ethiopia 53 reports | Info | |
| Dec 29, 2024 08:10 pm (Addis Ababa)3 weeks ago | 4.9 10 km | 21 km (13 mi) to the S | 14 km N of Āwash, Ethiopia 68 reports | Info | |
| Dec 29, 2024 06:57 am (Addis Ababa)3 weeks ago | 4.8 10 km | 21 km (13 mi) to the W | 33 km NNW of Āwash, Ethiopia 18 reports | Info | |
| Dec 27, 2024 05:00 am (Addis Ababa)3 weeks ago | 4.9 10 km | 36 km (23 mi) to the SW | 29 km N of Metahāra, Ethiopia 16 reports | Info | |
| Dec 23, 2024 10:41 pm (Addis Ababa)4 weeks ago | 4.9 10 km | 44 km (27 mi) to the SW | 13 km NNE of Metahāra, Ethiopia 34 reports | Info | |
| Oct 6, 2024 08:10 pm (Addis Ababa)15 weeks ago | 4.9 10 km | 19 km (12 mi) to the SE | 23 km NE of Āwash, Ethiopia 665 reports | Info | |
| Sep 27, 2024 07:36 am (Addis Ababa)16 weeks ago | 4.9 10 km | 43 km (27 mi) to the SW | 10 km WSW of Āwash, Ethiopia 3 reports | Info | |
| Oct 8, 2023 07:37 am (Addis Ababa)1 year 15 weeks ago | 4.8 10 km | 51 km (32 mi) to the SW | Ethiopia | Info | |
| Sep 19, 2009 08:56 pm (Addis Ababa)15 years ago | 4.5 10 km | 31 km (20 mi) to the N | Ethiopia | Info | |
| May 17, 2007 03:21 am (Addis Ababa)18 years ago | 4.4 10 km | 70 km (44 mi) to the NE | Ethiopia | Info | |
| May 11, 1989 11:53 pm (Addis Ababa)36 years ago | 4.9 10 km | 48 km (30 mi) to the SW | Ethiopia | Info | |
| Oct 28, 1985 03:08 pm (Addis Ababa)39 years ago | 4.7 10 km | 69 km (43 mi) to the W | Ethiopia | Info | |
| Feb 25, 1974 07:05 pm (Addis Ababa)51 years ago | 4.5 33 km | 66 km (41 mi) to the N | Ethiopia | Info | |
| Jun 2, 1961 10:02 am (Addis Ababa)64 years ago | 5.6 15 km | 94 km (58 mi) to the NW | Ethiopia | Info | |
| Oct 23, 1938 05:28 am (Addis Ababa)86 years ago | 6.0 15 km | 75 km (47 mi) to the N | 35 km SW of Gewan?, Ethiopia | Info | |
| Oct 20, 1938 04:15 pm (Addis Ababa)86 years ago | 6.0 15 km | 55 km (34 mi) to the NW | 28 km ESE of Debre S?na, Ethiopia | Info | |
| Sep 18, 1938 03:38 am (Addis Ababa)86 years ago | 6.0 15 km | 20 km (12 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
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