The German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) reported a magnitude 5.1 quake in Ethiopia near Ādīgrat, Tigray, only 12 minutes ago. The earthquake hit early afternoon on Monday, December 26th, 2022, at 3:21 pm local time at a shallow depth of 10 km. The exact magnitude, epicenter, and depth of the quake might be revised within the next few hours or minutes as seismologists review data and refine their calculations, or as other agencies issue their report. Our monitoring service identified a second report from the citizen-seismograph network of RaspberryShake which listed the quake at magnitude 5.1 as well.
A third agency, the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC), reported the same quake at magnitude 5.3. Based on the preliminary seismic data, the quake should not have caused any significant damage, but was probably felt by many people as light vibration in the area of the epicenter. Weak shaking might have been felt in Ādīgrat (pop. 65,000) located 62 km from the epicenter, Adi Keyh (pop. 13,100) 73 km away, and Mek’ele (pop. 215,500) 127 km away.
The Ethiopian Earthquake: A 5.1 Magnitude Tremor Strikes Ādīgrat
On Monday, December 26th, 2022, at 3:21 pm local time, a magnitude 5.1 earthquake struck the region of Ādīgrat in Ethiopia’s Tigray region. The German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) was the first to report the quake, which occurred at a shallow depth of 10 km. However, the citizen-seismograph network RaspberryShake and the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) have also reported the earthquake, with the latter listing it at a magnitude of 5.3.
While the preliminary data suggests that the earthquake should not have caused significant damage, it is likely that many people in the area felt light vibrations. The earthquake’s epicenter was located 62 km from the town of Ādīgrat, which has a population of 65,000, 73 km from Adi Keyh (pop. 13,100), and 127 km from Mek’ele (pop. 215,500). It is possible that residents of these towns may have experienced weak shaking as a result of the quake.
Seismologists are continuing to review data and refine their calculations, and it is possible that the exact magnitude, epicenter, and depth of the earthquake may be revised in the coming hours or minutes. It is important to remember that earthquakes can occur without warning and can have devastating consequences, so it is always important to be prepared and to follow safety guidelines in the event of a quake.
