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Unusually powerful M5.0 Earthquake hit near Jinka in Ethiopia on Saturday Night.

Under land 40 kilometer from Jinka in Ethiopia, an unusually powerful M5.0 earthquake occurred in the night of Saturday November 11th, 2023. Kenya is also near its epicenter.

Earthquake Summary

The earthquake struck on land in Ethiopia, 40 kilometer (25 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 04:40AM(Addis Ababa Time)
1 day ago – Nov 11, 2023 01:40 Universal Time.Location:40 km SSE of Jinka, SNNPR, Ethiopia.
Coordinates 5°18’11″N 36°45’40″E.Map:
Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps.Magnitude:MAG 5.0Depth: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 40 kilometer (25 mi) south-southeast of the epicenter.

A complete list of nearby places is included below.

Overview of nearby places

DistancePlace40 km (25 mi)
NNW from epicenterJinka
SNNPR, Ethiopia.58 km (36 mi)
NNW from epicenterBako
SNNPR, Ethiopia.112 km (70 mi)
N from epicenterFelege Neway
SNNPR, Ethiopia.119 km (74 mi)
NE from epicenterArba Minch
SNNPR, Ethiopia.154 km (96 mi)
ESE from epicenterYabēlo
Oromiya, Ethiopia.167 km (104 mi)
ENE from epicenterHagere Maryam
Oromiya, Ethiopia.205 km (127 mi)
NNE from epicenterSodo
SNNPR, Ethiopia.212 km (132 mi)
NE from epicenterDīla
SNNPR, Ethiopia.222 km (138 mi)
NNE from epicenterĀreka
SNNPR, Ethiopia.222 km (138 mi)
NNE from epicenterBodītī
SNNPR, Ethiopia.226 km (140 mi)
NNW from epicenterBonga
SNNPR, Ethiopia.243 km (151 mi)
ENE from epicenterShakiso
Oromiya, Ethiopia.244 km (152 mi)
NE from epicenterYirga ‘Alem
SNNPR, Ethiopia.254 km (158 mi)
ENE from epicenterKibre Mengist
Oromiya, Ethiopia.256 km (159 mi)
NW from epicenterTēpī
SNNPR, Ethiopia.264 km (164 mi)
N from epicenterJimma
Oromiya, Ethiopia.267 km (166 mi)
NNE from epicenterK’olīto
SNNPR, Ethiopia.272 km (169 mi)
NE from epicenterHawassa
SNNPR, Ethiopia.275 km (171 mi)
SSW from epicenterLodwar
Turkana, Kenya.277 km (172 mi)
NNE from epicenterHosa’ina
SNNPR, Ethiopia.283 km (176 mi)
N from epicenterĀgaro
Oromiya, Ethiopia.293 km (182 mi)
NE from epicenterShashemenē
Oromiya, Ethiopia.Cities and Towns around the epicenter of this earthquake.

Aftershocks detected

Since this main shock, 1 smaller aftershock was detected. A 4.8 magnitude earthquake hit 5 hrs later 16 km (10 mi) south-southeast of this earthquake.

Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks

ClassificationMagnitudeWhenWhereMain Shock

This EarthquakeM 5.0Nov 11, 2023 04:40AM
(Addis Ababa Time)–AftershockM 4.85 hrs later
Nov 11, 2023 09:26AM (Addis Ababa Time)16 km(10 mi)
SSE from Main Shock.Detected MAG2.5+ earthquakes within within 100km (62 mi), that occurred in the three days before and after the main shock.

More earthquakes coming?

Aftershocks are usually at least 1 order of magnitude less strong than main shocks. The more time passes, the smaller the chance and likely strength of any potential aftershocks.

It’s always adviced to be cautious of the risk of a larger shock following any significant earthquake, however this risk is fairly small. There is a roughly 94 percent change that no larger main shock will follow in the days following this earthquake.Read: How to Stay Safe during an Earthquake (cdc.gov).

This is the strongest earthquake in 4 years

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 May 3rd, 2020, when a 5 magnitude earthquake hit 283 km (176 mi) further south-southwest. That was also the heaviest earthquake to hit the region in the past 10 years.

In total, 1 earthquake with a magnitude of 5 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

DISCLAIMER: We strongly suggest to closely monitor advice from local authorities with regards to tsunami risks. Our analysis is based on automatically collected data from external sources, and these might contain mistakes. In addition, earthquakes can cause landslides that may lead to a tsunami, or be a followed by another, potentially stonger, earthquake.

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

FactorUnder Sea?MAG-6.5 or stronger?Shallow depth?ExplanationAlmost 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 EarthquakeNot this earthquake.
This earthquake appears to have struck on land far from any coast.Not this earthquake.
This earthquake had a magnitude of 5. 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 12/11/23 10:28 (1 hour ago). 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.