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M2.1 Depth: 10.0 km

M2.1 Earthquake near Steve Tshwete Local Municipality, Mpumalanga (South Africa)

UTC time: 2026-08-31 11:37:43 UTC Local time: —

About this earthquake

A magnitude M2.1 earthquake was recorded near Steve Tshwete Local Municipality, Mpumalanga (South Africa) on August 31, 2026 at 11:37 UTC. With a focal depth of about 10 km, this was a shallow earthquake, whose shaking is usually felt more strongly at the surface. Events of this size typically go unnoticed.

The event was recorded by EMSC.

Map

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

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