An unusually powerful Magnitude 4.9 earthquake struck under land 84 kilometer from Yei in South Sudan in the evening of Monday November 13th, 2023. Other countries near the epicenter include Uganda and Congo-Kinshasa.
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Earthquake Summary
The earthquake struck on land in South Sudan, 84 kilometer (52 mi) east of Yei in Central Equatoria. 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 13, 2023 21:54 (Kampala Time) - Nov 13, 2023 18:54 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 84 km east of Yei, Central Equatoria, South Sudan. Coordinates 3°56'53"N 31°24'53"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 4.9 Detected by 74 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.065 . |
| 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
Uganda , South Sudan and Congo-Kinshasa are all located within 300km distance of the epicenter of the earthquake.
Located 47 kilometer (29 mi) northwest of the epicenter of this earthquake, Moyo (Northern Region, Uganda) is the nearest significant population center.
Multiple large cities are in proximity of today's earthquake. Juba is located 102 km to the north. Yei is located 84 km to the west. Gulu is located 163 km to the south-east.
The table below provides an overview of all places in proximity of today's earthquake.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 47 km (29 mi) SE from epicenter |
Moyo Northern Region, Uganda. |
| 57 km (35 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Yumbe Northern Region, Uganda. |
| 76 km (47 mi) SE from epicenter |
Adjumani Northern Region, Uganda. |
| 84 km (52 mi) W from epicenter |
Yei Central Equatoria, South Sudan. |
| 102 km (63 mi) N from epicenter |
Juba Central Equatoria, South Sudan. |
| 117 km (73 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Arua Northern Region, Uganda. |
| 119 km (74 mi) E from epicenter |
Pajok Eastern Equatoria, South Sudan. |
| 138 km (86 mi) ENE from epicenter |
Torit Eastern Equatoria, South Sudan. |
| 163 km (101 mi) SE from epicenter |
Gulu Northern Region, Uganda. |
| 167 km (104 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Nebbi Northern Region, Uganda. |
| 177 km (110 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Paidha Northern Region, Uganda. |
| 180 km (112 mi) ESE from epicenter |
Kitgum Northern Region, Uganda. |
| 232 km (144 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Watsa Haut-Uele, Congo-Kinshasa. |
| 251 km (156 mi) SE from epicenter |
Lira Northern Region, Uganda. |
| 252 km (157 mi) N from epicenter |
Bor Jonglei, South Sudan. |
| 255 km (158 mi) S from epicenter |
Masindi Western Region, Uganda. |
| 280 km (174 mi) S from epicenter |
Hoima Western Region, Uganda. |
| 295 km (183 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Bunia Ituri, Congo-Kinshasa. |
Shaking reported by 19 people in 2 countries
People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 19 people have reported shaking in 11 places in 2 countries (Sudan, Uganda).We keep updating this article as more ground reports become available. You may report that you felt this earthquake here.
Places with most reports:
- Kampala, Central, Uganda: 4 people.
- Jūbā, Bah̨r-al-Jabal, Sudan: 3 people.
- Arua, Northern, Uganda: 2 people.
- Gulu, Northern, Uganda: 2 people.
- Yumbe, Northern, Uganda: 2 people.
- Torit, Šarq-al-Istiwā'īyah, Sudan: 1 person.
- Jinja-Kawempe, Central, Uganda: 1 person.
- Koboko, Northern, Uganda: 1 person.
- Moyo, Northern, Uganda: 1 person.
- Pakwach, Northern, Uganda: 1 person.
Risk of aftershocks?
We have not yet detected any foreshocks or aftershocks (MAG-2.5 or higher) within 100km (62 mi) of this earthquake.
Earthquakes can create aftershocks. These are generally at least 1 magnitude lower than any main shock, and as time passes the chance and strength of aftershocks decreases.
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. This is the strongest earthquake to hit since October 31st, 2023, when a 5.1 magnitude earthquake hit 58 km (36 mi) further north-east. That was also the heaviest earthquake to hit the region in the past 10 years.
In total, 1 earthquake 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 10 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 08/12/23 02:58 (). This article contains currently available information about the earthquake and is automatically composed. We continue to update this article up to a few days after the earthquake occurred.
- US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us7000larp
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20231113_0000167
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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