A magnitude 5.0 earthquake near Āwash, Āfar, Ethiopia, was reported 33 minutes ago by the United States Geological Survey, considered one of the key international agencies that monitor seismic activity worldwide. The earthquake occurred at a shallow depth of 10 km beneath the epicenter after midnight on Friday, January 3rd, 2025, at 12:18 am local time. Magnitude and other quake parameters can still change in the coming hours as the agency continues to process seismic data.
A second report was later issued by the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC), which listed it as a magnitude 5.0 earthquake as well. Other agencies reporting the same quake include the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) at magnitude 5.3, The Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS) at magnitude 5.0, and the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) at magnitude 5.3.
Based on the preliminary seismic data, the quake should not have caused any significant damage, but was probably felt by many people as light vibration in the area of the epicenter.
Weak shaking might have been felt in Āwash (pop. 36,500) located 63 km from the epicenter, Abomsa (pop. 15,300) 64 km away, Āsbe Teferī (pop. 30,800) 75 km away, Gelemso (pop. 16,100) 82 km away, Metehara (pop. 23,400) 85 km away, Bedēsa (pop. 17,500) 85 km away, and Debre Birhan (pop. 57,800) 91 km away.
VolcanoDiscovery will automatically update magnitude and depth if these change and follow up if other significant news about the quake become available. If you’re in the area, please send us your experience through our reporting mechanism, either online or via our mobile app. This will help us provide more first-hand updates to anyone around the globe who wants to know more about this quake.
Update Thu, 2 Jan 2025, 21:23
Seismic-like event, possible earthquake, reported few minutes ago near Addis Ababa, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Unconfirmed quake or seismic-like event reported: Near Addis Ababa, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 5 minutes ago
Unconfirmed quake or seismic-like event reported: Near Addis Ababa, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 5 minutes ago
We are receiving unverified early reports of ground shaking possibly caused by seismic activity in or near Addis Ababa, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on 2 Jan 2025 (GMT) at approximately 21:18 GMT.
There are no details yet on the magnitude or depth of this possible quake. If confirmed, we can expect more accurate data to emerge in the next few minutes. The location, magnitude and time mentioned are indicative, based on our best-fit seismic model. They are temporary until our AllQuakes monitoring service receives more exact scientific data from a national or international seismological agency. Check back here shortly and stay safe.
Source: Volcano Discovery
