M4.5 Earthquake 18 km WSW of Bashanet, Tanzania — August 2, 2023
2023-08-02 22:00:08 UTC (2023-08-02) · approx. 12:00 AM UTC+2 local
On August 2, 2023 at 22:00 UTC, a magnitude 4.5 shallow crustal earthquake struck 18 km WSW of Bashanet, Tanzania, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates -4.2799°, 35.2579°. This earthquake was detected by 43 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 312, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.5 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 85 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 767 m — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
Earthquake Details
35.2579°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.5 earthquake near Bashanet, Tanzania?
The magnitude 4.5 earthquake that struck 18 km WSW of Bashanet, Tanzania on August 2, 2023 at 22:00 UTC had a depth of 10.0 km. For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at -4.2799°, 35.2579°, which is 18 km WSW of Bashanet, Tanzania.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.5 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000kxea). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2023, August 2, 2023). M4.5 Earthquake 18 km WSW of Bashanet, Tanzania — August 2, 2023. Retrieved October 7, 2023 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000kxea/