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South Africa · Gauteng

M2.1 Earthquake near Merafong City Local Municipality, Gauteng (South Africa)

UTC time: 2026-09-17 04:22:43 UTC Local time: —
Magnitude
M2.1
Depth
10.0 km
Source
EMSC

Gauteng · Merafong City Local Municipality

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About this earthquake

A magnitude M2.1 earthquake was recorded near Merafong City Local Municipality, Gauteng (South Africa) on September 17, 2026 at 04:22 UTC. The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 10 km, increasing how strongly it was felt. Earthquakes of this small magnitude are usually barely noticeable and cause no damage.

The data is provided by EMSC and cross-checked across seismological networks. South Africa: 2 earthquakes were recorded in the past 24 hours, the strongest reaching M2.9.

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 10 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 10 km
Shallow
10 km
10 km — close to the regional average (10 km)
Regional average: 10 km
Why depth matters

Shallow quakes release energy near the surface — shaking is felt more strongly and damage potential is higher.

Depth classes per USGS

Gauteng

Context for this earthquake

20 Sep 2025 – 20 Sep 2026 · M ≥ 2.0 · 44 Catalogue entries

Of 43 other entries for this area and period, 35 have a higher stored magnitude. Different magnitude types and reports not yet merged limit the comparison.

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Country statistics · South Africa

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