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Ethiopia · Afar Region

M4.5 Earthquake near Awash, Afar Region (Ethiopia)

UTC time: 2026-09-16 12:33:24 UTC Local time: —
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Archive record · original publication time was not recorded Content updated:

Automatically generated from measurement data by QuakeMap24. Values may change after further analysis.

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About this earthquake

A magnitude M4.5 earthquake was recorded near Awash, Afar Region (Ethiopia) on September 16, 2026 at 12:33 UTC. With a focal depth of about 10 km, this was a shallow earthquake, whose shaking is usually felt more strongly at the surface. Tremors of this size are distinctly felt and can occasionally cause light damage.

The event was recorded by USGS.

Details

ID
62f0daa859cccdecf9162f8d077827d3d7ad9cbc
Magnitude
M4.5
Depth
10.0 km
UTC time
2026-09-16 12:33:24 UTC
Local time
—
Country
Ethiopia
State
Afar Region
City
Awash
County
Zone 3
Source
usgs
Coordinates
9.02470, 40.13000
Temperature
26.8°C

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 — shallower than the regional average (14.2 km)
Regional average: 14.2 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

Estimated impact

1 Felt reports · max reported intensity 3

Tectonic context

Located on the Somalia Plate.
Near the boundary Somalia ↔ Africa · about 32 km away

Volcanoes nearby

  • Fentale
    Distance: 25 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'007 m ·Last eruption: 1789 ·Ethiopia
  • Dofen
    Distance: 36 km ·Shield ·Elevation: 1'151 m ·Ethiopia
  • Beru
    Distance: 43 km ·Volcanic field ·Elevation: 1'100 m ·Ethiopia
  • Kone
    Distance: 53 km ·Caldera(s) ·Elevation: 1'380 m ·Last eruption: 1820 ·Ethiopia
  • Liado Hayk
    Distance: 63 km ·Volcanic field ·Elevation: 878 m ·Ethiopia
  • Hertali
    Distance: 87 km ·Fissure vent ·Elevation: 900 m ·Ethiopia

Ethiopia

Context for this earthquake

20 Sep 2025 – 20 Sep 2026 · M ≥ 3.0 · 43 Catalogue entries

Of 42 other entries for this area and period, 26 have a higher stored magnitude. Different magnitude types and reports not yet merged limit the comparison.

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Historic earthquake map · Ethiopia

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Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)
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Country (24h)
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