M4.5 Earthquake 145 km NE of Kisangani, Democratic Republic of the Congo — December 15, 2024
2024-12-15 21:08:24 UTC (2024-12-15) · approx. 11:08 PM UTC+2 local
On December 15, 2024 at 21:08 UTC, a magnitude 4.5 shallow crustal earthquake struck 145 km NE of Kisangani, Democratic Republic of the Congo, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates 1.5556°, 25.9986°. This earthquake was detected by 17 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
25.9986°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.5 earthquake near Kisangani, Democratic Republic of the Congo?
The magnitude 4.5 earthquake that struck 145 km NE of Kisangani, Democratic Republic of the Congo on December 15, 2024 at 21:08 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 1.5556°, 25.9986°, which is 145 km NE of Kisangani, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
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.
Actions
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000ph80). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2024, December 15, 2024). M4.5 Earthquake 145 km NE of Kisangani, Democratic Republic of the Congo — December 15, 2024. Retrieved February 18, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000ph80/