M4.4 Earthquake 16 km NW of Āwash, Ethiopia — December 26, 2024
2024-12-26 16:28:59 UTC (2024-12-26) · approx. 7:28 PM UTC+3 local
On December 26, 2024 at 16:28 UTC, a magnitude 4.4 shallow crustal earthquake struck 16 km NW of Āwash, Ethiopia, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates 9.0888°, 40.0547°.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.4 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 60 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 655 m — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 5 citizen responses to the USGS Did You Feel It? system. Each colored zone represents the average MMI from reports in that area.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey Did You Feel It?. View on USGS · submit your own report
Earthquake Details
40.0547°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.4 earthquake near Āwash, Ethiopia?
The magnitude 4.4 earthquake that struck 16 km NW of Āwash, Ethiopia on December 26, 2024 at 16:28 UTC had a depth of 10.0 km. For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.4 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.
Actions
Understanding This Data
Magnitude 4.4 earthquakes are often felt but rarely cause damage.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000pfqt). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2024, December 26, 2024). M4.4 Earthquake 16 km NW of Āwash, Ethiopia — December 26, 2024. Retrieved March 8, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000pfqt/