In the morning of Saturday November 11th, 2023, a shallow Magnitude 4.9 aftershock hit under land 57 kilometer from Jinka in Ethiopia. Another nearby country is Kenya.
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Earthquake Summary
The earthquake struck on land in Ethiopia, 57 kilometer (35 mi) south-southeast of Jinka in SNNPR. The center of this earthquake had a very shallow depth of 10 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.
| Date and Time: | Nov 11, 2023 09:26AM (Addis Ababa Time) - Nov 11, 2023 06:26 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 57 km SSE of Jinka, SNNPR, Ethiopia. Coordinates 5°9'50"N 36°48'20"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 4.9 Detected by 35 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.095 . |
| Depth: | 10 km (6 mi) A very shallow depth. |
| Tsunami Risk: | Tsunami very unlikely While this was a shallow earthquake, it appears to have occurred under land with a magnitude not strong enough to cause tsunami's. Always stay cautious - More info here. |
Nearby towns and cities
Ethiopia and Kenya are both located within 300km distance of the epicenter of the earthquake.
The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Jinka in SNNPR, Ethiopia. Jinka is located 57 kilometer (35 mi) south-southeast of the epicenter.
The table below provides an overview of all places in proximity of today's earthquake.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 57 km (35 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Jinka SNNPR, Ethiopia. |
| 74 km (46 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Bako SNNPR, Ethiopia. |
| 127 km (79 mi) NE from epicenter |
Arba Minch SNNPR, Ethiopia. |
| 127 km (79 mi) N from epicenter |
Felege Neway SNNPR, Ethiopia. |
| 145 km (90 mi) ESE from epicenter |
Yabēlo Oromiya, Ethiopia. |
| 167 km (104 mi) ENE from epicenter |
Hagere Maryam Oromiya, Ethiopia. |
| 216 km (134 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Sodo SNNPR, Ethiopia. |
| 218 km (135 mi) NE from epicenter |
Dīla SNNPR, Ethiopia. |
| 232 km (144 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Bodītī SNNPR, Ethiopia. |
| 234 km (145 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Āreka SNNPR, Ethiopia. |
| 242 km (150 mi) ENE from epicenter |
Shakiso Oromiya, Ethiopia. |
| 243 km (151 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Bonga SNNPR, Ethiopia. |
| 251 km (156 mi) NE from epicenter |
Yirga ‘Alem SNNPR, Ethiopia. |
| 254 km (158 mi) ENE from epicenter |
Kibre Mengist Oromiya, Ethiopia. |
| 264 km (164 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Lodwar Turkana, Kenya. |
| 271 km (168 mi) NW from epicenter |
Tēpī SNNPR, Ethiopia. |
| 278 km (173 mi) NNE from epicenter |
K’olīto SNNPR, Ethiopia. |
| 279 km (173 mi) N from epicenter |
Jimma Oromiya, Ethiopia. |
| 280 km (174 mi) NE from epicenter |
Hawassa SNNPR, Ethiopia. |
| 289 km (180 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Hosa’ina SNNPR, Ethiopia. |
| 299 km (186 mi) N from epicenter |
Āgaro Oromiya, Ethiopia. |
This is likely an aftershock
This earthquake was an aftershock. A larger mag. 5 earthquake struck 16 km (10 mi) north-northwest in advance of this 4.9 earthquake around 5 hrs earlier.
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main Shock | M 5.0 |
Nov 11, 2023 04:40AM (Addis Ababa Time) | - |
| Aftershock This Earthquake |
M 4.9 |
5 hrs later Nov 11, 2023 09:26AM (Addis Ababa Time) | 16 km (10 mi) SSE from Main Shock. |
More earthquakes coming?
The risk of aftershocks decreases rapidly over time. Usually, aftershocks are at least one order of magnitude lower than a main shock.
The chance that a significant earthquake like this one is followed by an even larger earthquake is not so large. On average, scientists estimate a 94% chance that a major earthquake will not be followed by an even larger one. It is still adviced to be aware of this risk
Read: How to Stay Safe during an Earthquake (cdc.gov).This is an unusually powerful earthquake
Earthquakes of this strength are not so common in the region, but it's not the first time. In total, 2 earthquakes with a magnitude of 4.9 or higher have been registered within 300km (186 mi) of this epicenter in the past 10 years. This comes down to an average of once every 5 years.
Tsunami very unlikely
While MAG-6.5+ earthquakes may cause tsunami's, it appears that the epicenter of this earthquake hit under land. In addition, the reported depth is deeper than 100km, making the risk of a tsunami even less likely. However always stay cautious and monitor advice from local authorities.
Tsunami Risk Factors
| Factor | Under Sea? | MAG-6.5 or stronger? | Shallow depth? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Explanation | Almost all tsunami's are caused by earthquakes with their epicenter under sea or very near the sea. However stay cautious in coastal areas as earthquakes on land may cause landslides into sea, potentially still causing a local tsunami. | Under MAG 6.5: Very unlikely to cause a tsunami. MAG 6.5 to 7.5: Destructive tsunami's do occur, but are uncommon. Likely to observe small sea level changes. MAG 7.6+: Earthquakes with these magnitudes might produce destructive tsunami's. |
Most destructive tsunami's are caused by shallow earthquakes with a depth between 0 and 100km under the surface of the earth. Deeper tsunami's are unlikely to displace to ocean floor. |
| This Earthquake | Not this earthquake. This earthquake appears to have struck on land far from any coast. |
Not this earthquake. This earthquake had a magnitude of 4.9. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 10 km (6 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 03/12/23 08:58 (). This article is automatically generated based on available data. We keep checking multiple sources for additional information. This article gets updated as new details on this earthquake become available.
- US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us7000lab8
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20231111_0000110
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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