M4.6 Earthquake 29 km N of Metahāra, Ethiopia — January 8, 2025
2025-01-08 22:17:08 UTC (2025-01-08) · approx. 1:17 AM UTC+3 local
Felt by 1 person across nearby locations.
On January 8, 2025 at 22:17 UTC, a magnitude 4.6 shallow crustal earthquake struck 29 km N of Metahāra, Ethiopia, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates 9.1666°, 39.9447°. This earthquake was detected by 75 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 326, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.6 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 120 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 899 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 1 citizen response 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
39.9447°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.6 earthquake near Metahāra, Ethiopia?
The magnitude 4.6 earthquake that struck 29 km N of Metahāra, Ethiopia on January 8, 2025 at 22:17 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 9.1666°, 39.9447°, which is 29 km N of Metahāra, Ethiopia.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.6 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000pir9). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2025, January 8, 2025). M4.6 Earthquake 29 km N of Metahāra, Ethiopia — January 8, 2025. Retrieved March 20, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000pir9/