4.7

M4.7 Earthquake 24 km N of Metahāra, EthiopiaDecember 30, 2024

2024-12-30 23:30:59 UTC (2024-12-30) · approx. 2:30 AM UTC+3 local

Felt by 5 people across nearby locations.

MagnitudeM4.7(mb)
Time23:30 UTC2:30 AM UTC+3
Depth10.0 kmshallow crustal
Coordinates9.119°, 39.928°
Felt by5DYFI responses
Status✓ Reviewed by USGS

On December 30, 2024 at 23:30 UTC, a magnitude 4.7 shallow crustal earthquake struck 24 km N of Metahāra, Ethiopia, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates 9.1189°, 39.9276°. This earthquake was detected by 66 seismic stations with moderate location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 342, placing it among routine seismic activity.

Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.7 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 169 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 1.1 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.

Map showing earthquake epicenter at 9.12°, 39.93°

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.

USGS DYFI community-reported intensity map for the M4.7 earthquake near 24 km N of Metahāra, Ethiopia

Source: U.S. Geological Survey Did You Feel It?. View on USGS · submit your own report

Earthquake Details

Magnitude
4.7 mb
Depth
10.0 km
shallow crustal
Location
9.1189°N
39.9276°E
Felt Reports
5
DYFI responses
Community Intensity
5.3
CDI from reports

Technical Information

Event ID
us6000pgkb
Event Type
earthquake
Status
✓ Reviewed
Significance
342
Stations Used
66
Azimuthal Gap
185.0°
Min Station Distance
1.253°
RMS Residual
0.59 sec
Last Updated
2025-03-08 22:39:13 UTC

Common Questions

How strong was the magnitude 4.7 earthquake near Metahāra, Ethiopia?

The magnitude 4.7 earthquake that struck 24 km N of Metahāra, Ethiopia on December 30, 2024 at 23:30 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 9.1189°, 39.9276°, which is 24 km N of Metahāra, Ethiopia.

Were there aftershocks?

Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.7 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.

Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000pgkb). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.

Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2024, December 30, 2024). M4.7 Earthquake 24 km N of Metahāra, EthiopiaDecember 30, 2024. Retrieved March 8, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000pgkb/