Mag. 4.5 earthquake – 24 km WNW of Āsbe Teferī, Ethiopia, on Tuesday, Jan 28, 2025, at 11:22 pm (Addis Ababa time)
Updated: Jan 29, 2025 00:37 GMT – 50 minutes ago refresh
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Moderate magnitude 4.5 earthquake at 10 km depth
28 Jan 20:24 UTC: First to report: VolcanoDiscovery after 1 minute.
28 Jan 20:32: Now using data updates from GFZ
28 Jan 20:43: Now using data updates from USGS
Update Tue, 28 Jan 2025, 20:36
Felt earthquake: 4.8 quake 53 km north of Āwash, Āfar, Ethiopia, 13 minutes ago – 94 shake reports so far
Numerous people reported to have felt the quake. Attached is an updated map showing the shaking felt (and reported) by this earthquake.
Update Tue, 28 Jan 2025, 20:31
Shaking reported, possible quake Near Addis Ababa, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | 7m ago | – 53 shake reports so far
Numerous people reported to have felt the quake. Attached is an updated map showing the shaking felt (and reported) by this earthquake.
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I felt this quake
Earthquake details
| Date & time | Jan 28, 2025 20:22:56 UTC – 5 hours ago |
| Local time at epicenter | Tuesday, Jan 28, 2025, at 11:22 pm (Africa/Addis Ababa GMT +3) |
| Status | Confirmed (manually revised) |
| Magnitude | 4.5 |
| Depth | 10 km |
| Epicenter latitude / longitude | 9.1906°N / 40.6691°E Oromiya, Ethiopia |
| Seismic antipode | 9.1906°S / 139.331°W French Polynesia |
| Quality | 28 seismic stations |
| Shaking intensity | V Moderate shaking near epicenter |
| Felt | 138 reports |
| Primary data source | USGS (United States Geological Survey) |
| Nearest volcano | Dofen (62 km / 39 mi) |
| Weather at epicenter at time of quake | Broken Clouds  15.7°C (60 F), humidity: 56%, wind: 1 m/s (3 kts) from ESE |
| 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 Āwash, a town with 37,000 inhabitants in Ethiopia, in 59 km (37 mi) distance west 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 
Djibouti, Djibouti, 380 km (236 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 km (15 mi)SE of epicenter | Āsbe Teferī(pop: 30,800) | IV: Light | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 35 km (22 mi)S of epicenter | Bedēsa(pop: 17,500) | IV: Light | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 45 km (28 mi)S of epicenter | Gelemso(pop: 16,100) | III: Weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 47 km (29 mi)E of epicenter | Hīrna(pop: 12,300) | III: Weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 59 km (37 mi)W of epicenter | Āwash(pop: 36,500) | III: Weak | Āfar | Ethiopia |
| 86 km (53 mi)E of epicenter | Deder(pop: 8,880) | III: Weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 89 km (55 mi)W of epicenter | Metehara(pop: 23,400) | III: Weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 109 km (67 mi)N of epicenter | Gewanē(pop: 11,300) | III: Weak | Āfar | Ethiopia |
| 116 km (72 mi)NW of epicenter | Abomsa(pop: 15,300) | II: Very weak | Amhara | Ethiopia |
| 136 km (85 mi)NW of epicenter | Debre Birhan(pop: 57,800) | II: Very weak | Amhara | Ethiopia |
| 139 km (86 mi)E of epicenter | Dire Dawa(pop: 252,300) | II: Very weak | Dire Dawa | Ethiopia |
| 160 km (99 mi)E of epicenter | Kharar(pop: 90,200) | II: Very weak | Harari | Ethiopia |
| 170 km (106 mi)SW of epicenter | Nazrēt(pop: 214,000) | II: Very weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 173 km (108 mi)SW of epicenter | Wenjī(pop: 17,100) | II: Very weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 183 km (114 mi)W of epicenter | Mojo(pop: 34,500) | II: Very weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 191 km (119 mi)NW of epicenter | Kemisē(pop: 23,900) | II: Very weak | Amhara | Ethiopia |
| 192 km (119 mi)W of epicenter | Bishoftu(pop: 197,600) | II: Very weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 212 km (132 mi)W of epicenter | Addis Ababa(pop: 2,757,700) | II: Very weak | Addis Ababa | Ethiopia |
| 223 km (139 mi)W of epicenter | Fichē(pop: 25,800) | II: Very weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 227 km (141 mi)W of epicenter | Sebeta(pop: 19,500) | II: Very weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 228 km (142 mi)S of epicenter | Ghinnir(pop: 16,800) | II: Very weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 233 km (145 mi)NW of epicenter | Cambolcia(pop: 125,700) | II: Very weak | Amhara | Ethiopia |
| 234 km (145 mi)N of epicenter | Batī(pop: 19,300) | II: Very weak | Amhara | Ethiopia |
| 235 km (146 mi)E of epicenter | Jijiga(pop: 56,800) | II: Very weak | Somali | Ethiopia |
| 239 km (148 mi)W of epicenter | Holeta(pop: 23,800) | II: Very weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 244 km (152 mi)NW of epicenter | Dessie(pop: 136,100) | II: Very weak | Amhara | Ethiopia |
| 253 km (157 mi)S of epicenter | Goba(pop: 34,400) | II: Very weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 256 km (159 mi)SW of epicenter | Ziway(pop: 49,400) | II: Very weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 258 km (160 mi)W of epicenter | Gebre Guracha(pop: 16,600) | II: Very weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 278 km (172 mi)N of epicenter | Assayita(pop: 20,300) | II: Very weak | Āfar | Ethiopia |
| 280 km (174 mi)SW of epicenter | Butajīra(pop: 30,500) | II: Very weak | SNNPR | Ethiopia |
| 283 km (176 mi)SW of epicenter | Āsasa(pop: 23,800) | II: Very weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 286 km (178 mi)N of epicenter | Dubti(pop: 26,400) | II: Very weak | Āfar | Ethiopia |
| 306 km (190 mi)W of epicenter | Walliso(pop: 38,400) | II: Very weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 310 km (193 mi)W of epicenter | Hāgere Hiywet(pop: 43,900) | II: Very weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 318 km (197 mi)SW of epicenter | Shashamane(pop: 85,900) | II: Very weak | Oromiya | Ethiopia |
| 338 km (210 mi)SW of epicenter | Awasa(pop: 133,100) | I: Not felt | SNNPR | Ethiopia |
| 360 km (223 mi)SW of epicenter | Hosa’ina(pop: 76,000) | I: Not felt | SNNPR | Ethiopia |
| 380 km (236 mi)NE of epicenter | Djibouti(pop: 623,900) | I: Not felt | Djibouti | Djibouti |
| 412 km (256 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 (143)
The first report about ground shaking reached us after only 1 minute, before other agencies reported it. So far, we have received 143 reports for this quake from Ethiopia. Out of these, 138 people indicated they felt it. The quake was reported to have been felt in up to approx. 200 km (124 mi) distance, with isolated cases to have felt the quake even 588 km (365 mi) away.
The majority of reports came from Addis Ababa (123 reports), the capital of Ethiopia with 2,800,000 inhabitants in 212 km (132 mi) distance west of the epicenter, Holeta (2 reports), a town with 24,000 inhabitants in Oromiya in 239 km (148 mi) distance west of the epicenter, and Nazrēt (2 reports) (170 km or 106 mi to the southwest). See the list of places where most people reported this quake further below.
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.
Contribute:
Leave a comment if you find a particular report interesting or want to add to it.
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Addis Abeba (200.4 km W of epicenter) [Map] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : I was in my bed when i felt the bed shaking and the glasses in the kitchen shaking and making sounds. | One user found this interesting.
addis ababa (205.5 km W of epicenter) [Map] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : It was more severe than the last 5.7 magnitude earthquake. Twice I felt the shaking and heard the sound of rubble breaking off the walls.
Addis Ababa (214.8 km W of epicenter) [Map] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : I live near st paul hospital in addis, sleeping on a mattress the suddendy the ground heavily shakes, this one is the hardest from from the privious series of earth quake shakes that i experience
Betel Adis Ababa (211.7 km W of epicenter) [Map] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 5-10 s : I felt a shake that moved window curtains and heared some cracking or squeaking sound from the apartment
Addis Abeba (211.7 km W of epicenter) [Map] / not felt : One of my relatives living around /Rufael village/1.2 km away from my village felt the shocking. | One user found this interesting.
ADDIS ABABA (201.6 km W of epicenter) [Map] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s : I was on my bed and i thought someone was swinging my bed for a min | One user found this interesting.
addis ababa (200.4 km W of epicenter) [Map] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : The bed j am on shook vigoursky | One user found this interesting.
Addis Ababa (211.7 km W of epicenter) [Map] / Light shaking (MMI IV)
Addis Ababa (216.1 km W of epicenter) [Map] / Light shaking (MMI IV) (reported through our app)
near Addis Ababa (197.8 km W of epicenter) [Map] / Light shaking (MMI IV) (reported through our app)
Holeta, Oromiya (239.6 km W of epicenter) [Map] / Weak shaking (MMI III) (reported through our app)
near Addis Ababa (201.4 km W of epicenter) [Map] / Weak shaking (MMI III) (reported through our app)
28 km of Oodweyne (504.8 km E of epicenter) [Map] / not felt
Addis Ababa (211.7 km W of epicenter) [Map] / Weak shaking (MMI III)
Addis Ababa (210.9 km W of epicenter) [Map] / Weak shaking (MMI III) (reported through our app)
Addiss ababa (211.7 km W of epicenter) [Map] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s
Addis Ababa (209.5 km W of epicenter) [Map] / Light shaking (MMI IV) (reported through our app)
Addis ababa (211.7 km W of epicenter) [Map] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 2-5 s
37 km of Āwash (55.8 km WNW of epicenter) [Map] / not felt (reported through our app)
Addis Ababa (216.7 km W of epicenter) [Map] / Weak shaking (MMI III) (reported through our app)
Addis ababa / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 2-5 s
Sheger city (211.7 km W of epicenter) [Map] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 15-20 s : I woke up due to up and down shake
Chiro (30.6 km SE of epicenter) [Map] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s (reported through our app)
adama city (170.5 km WSW of epicenter) [Map] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s : I was on bed i feel some shak
Addis Ababa (211.7 km W of epicenter) [Map] / Light shaking (MMI IV)
Addis Abeba (220.3 km W of epicenter) [Map] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 2-5 s (reported through our app)
Addis Abeba, 4Kilo (211.7 km W of epicenter) [Map] / Weak shaking (MMI III)
near Addis Ababa (198.6 km W of epicenter) [Map] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 5-10 s
ADDIS ABABA (211.7 km W of epicenter) [Map] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (208.6 km W of epicenter) [Map] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s (reported through our app)
52 km of Āwash (76.1 km WNW of epicenter) [Map] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 1-2 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) | 212 km (132 mi)W of epicenter | III: Weak shaking | 123 |
| Holeta, Oromiya, Ethiopia(Pop.: 23,753) | 239 km (148 mi)W of epicenter | IV: Light shaking | 2 |
| Nazrēt, Oromiya, Ethiopia(Pop.: 213,995) | 170 km (106 mi)SW of epicenter | III: Weak shaking | 2 |
| Sendafa, Oromiya, Ethiopia(Pop.: 7,326) | 181 km (112 mi)W of epicenter | IV: Light shaking | 1 |
| Sebeta, Oromiya, Ethiopia(Pop.: 19,533) | 227 km (141 mi)W of epicenter | IV: Light shaking | 1 |
| Bishoftu, Oromiya, Ethiopia(Pop.: 197,557) | 192 km (119 mi)W of epicenter | III: Weak shaking | 1 |
| Metehara, Oromiya, Ethiopia(Pop.: 23,403) | 89 km (55 mi)W of epicenter | III: Weak shaking | 1 |
| Cambolcia, Amhara, Ethiopia(Pop.: 125,654) | 233 km (145 mi)NW of epicenter | IV: Light shaking | 1 |
| Aksum, Tigray, Ethiopia(Pop.: 41,249) | 588 km (365 mi)N of epicenter | III: Weak shaking | 1 |
| Gewanē, Āfar, Ethiopia(Pop.: 11,279) | 109 km (67 mi)N of epicenter | III: Weak shaking | 1 |
Note: Only reports with latitude/longitude coordinate positions given (143 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.
Number of reports by intensity
| Shaking intensity | Number of reports | Min-Max distance from epicenter (*) | Average distance (*) |
|---|---|---|---|
| I: Not felt | 5 | 56–504 km (35–313 mi) | 239 km (149 mi) |
| II: Very weak shaking | 13 | 170–221 km (106–137 mi) | 206 km (128 mi) |
| III: Weak shaking | 15 | 31–200 km (19–124 mi) | 167 km (104 mi) |
| IV: Light shaking | 6 | 34–200 km (21–124 mi) | 170 km (106 mi) |
Notes
(*) Reports are filtered to exclude those that are likely highly inaccurate or esaggerated.
Only reports with latitude/longitude coordinate positions given (143 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!
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 GMT2025-01-28 | Epicenter | Agency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.5± 0.12 | 10 km6.2 mi(*)±2 km | 20:22:56.355 | 24 km WNW of Āsbe Teferī, EthiopiaHoriz. uncertainty: ± 15 km | USGS (United States Geological Survey) |
| 4.8 | 10 km6.2 mi(*) | 20:22:55 | Ethiopia79 km (49 mi) epicenter difference with USGS | RaspberryShake (RaspberryShake) |
| 4.5± 0.12 | 10 km6.2 mi(*) | 20:22:56.355±1.87s | Ethiopia0 km (0 mi) epicenter difference with USGS | EMSC (European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre) |
| 4.8 | 10 km6.2 mi(*) | 20:22:55.5 | Ethiopia79 km (49 mi) epicenter difference with USGS | GFZ (German Research Centre for Geosciences) |
| 4.5 | 10 km6.2 mi(*) | 20:22:56 | 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: 221 km / 137 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 28, 2025 11:22 pm (Addis Ababa) 4 hours ago – felt | 4.5 10 km | 0 km – This quake | 24 km WNW of Āsbe Teferī, 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 24.4 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: 0.75 quakes per year (or 1 quake every 1.3 years)
- Mag. 4 or higher: 23.7 quakes per year
- Mag. 3 or higher: 23.7 quakes per year
- Mag. 2 or higher: 23.7 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
Strongest in 32 years
The earthquake was the strongest to hit this part of Ethiopia in over 32 years. Earlier, the last quake of equal or greater strength near the present epicenter had been a magnitude 5.3 earthquake on Saturday, Feb 13, 1993, at 05:25 am local time (Africa/Addis Ababa GMT +3) in 178 km (110 mi) distance to the southwest:
Mag. 5.3 earthquake Ethiopia – Feb 13, 1993 – 32 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 15, 2021 09:13 am (Addis Ababa)4 years ago | 4.0 10 km | 116 km (72 mi) to the W | 45 km NW of Metah?ra, Ethiopia | Info | |
| Feb 13, 1993 05:25 am (Addis Ababa)32 years ago | 5.3 12 km | 178 km (110 mi) to the SW | Ethiopia | Info | |
| Feb 12, 1993 09:49 am (Universal Time)32 years ago | 4.1 3.7 km | 153 km (95 mi) to the SW | Ethiopia | Info | |
| Aug 14, 1985 11:37 pm (Addis Ababa)39 years ago | 4.9 33 km | 256 km (159 mi) to the SW | 26 km NE of Butaj?ra, 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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