Magnitude 5.8 Earthquake in the Afar Region of Ethiopia linked to activity on Mount Dafan.

The Ethiopian Geological Institute has reported a Magnitude 5.8 Earthquake at a depth of 10.0 km, in the Awash Fentale Woreda (District) of the Afar Region of Ethiopia, about 150 km to the northeast of Addis Ababa, slightly after 4.50 am local time (slightly after 0.50 am GMT) on Saturday 4 January 2025. There are no reports of any damage or injuries arising from this quake, but it was felt as far away as Addis Ababa, and it is possible that some minor damage has occurred.

The approximate location of the 4 January 2024 Ethiopian Earthquake. USGS.

This is the latest in a series of Earthquakes in the Central Ethiopia, which began in the third week of December 2024. Clusters of Earthquakes are concerning in northern or central Ethiopia, as the area is volcanic, and seismic movements can be linked to magma moving into chambers beneath volcanoes from deeper in the Earth, which in turn can be a predictor of future volcanic eruptions. On this occasion the Ethiopian Geological Institute has suggested that the Earthquakes may be linked to a fissure eruption on Mount Dafan, a shield volcanoe in the Dulacha Woreda, which opened on 2 January producing a sustained jet of steam and hot water. Residents of the area have been evacuated as a precaution against a future, larger eruption.

A vent which opened on Mount Dafan in the Dulacha Woreda of Ethiopia on 3 January 2024, producing a sustained jet of steam and hot water. Ethiopian Geological Institute/Facebook.

The deserts of Northern Ethiopia and Southern Eritrea are extremely volcanically active, with dozens of volcanoes fed by an emerging divergent margin along the East African Rift. The African Plate is slowly splitting apart along the Ethiopian Rift and the East African Rift to the south (which is splitting the Nubian Plate to the West from the Somali Plate to the East). Arabia was a part of Africa till about thirty million years ago, when it was split away by the opening of the Red Sea Rift (part of the same rift system), and in time the Ethiopian and East African Rifts are likely to split Africa into a number of new landmasses. This rifting exerts pressure on the rocks around the margin of the sea, slowly pushing them apart, not smoothly but in fits and starts as the pressure overcomes the tendency of the rocks to stick together, creating shocks that we experience as Earthquakes.

Rifting in East Africa. The Danakil Microplate is the red triangle to the east of the Afar depression at the southern end of the Red Sea. Università degli Studi di Firenze.

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Magnitude 3.9 Earthquake beneath the northern Gulf of Aqaba.

The United States Geological Survey recorded a Magnitude 3.9 Earthquake at a depth of 10.0 km, beneath the Gulf of Aqaba, roughly 3 km off the coast of the city of Aqaba in southern Jordan, at about 5.30 am local time (about 2.30 am GMT) on Tuesday 15 December 2020. There are no reports of any serious damage or injuries from this quake, but people have reported feeling it in Jordan and Israel.

 

The approximate location of the 15 December 2020 Gulf of Aqaba Earthquake. USGS.

The Gulf of Aqaba lies on the boundary between the African and Arabian Plates, and is bisected by the Dead Sea Transform Margin (sometimes the Levant Transform Margin or Levant Transform Fault), with the east of the country located on the Arabian Plate, and the west on the African Plate. Both of these plates are moving northward, but the Arabian Plate is moving at a greater rate, driven by seafloor spreading beneath the Red Sea, creating a leading to transform movement on the plate margin that runs through the Gulf of Aqaba, the Dead Sea, and Lebanon, with the Arabian Plate moving northward relative to the African Plate. 

 

The relative movements of the African and Arabian Plates. School of Earth and Environment/University of Leeds.

Sea floor spreading is occurring at a faster rate beneath the southern Red Sea than the north, with the effect that the Arabian Plate is also rotating relative to the African Plate. This results in a slightly complex situation in Lebanon, with a network of faults underlying the region, all with the potential for movement, which can result in quakes anywhere in the country.

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Magnitude 5.4 Earthquake beneath the northern Red Sea.

The United States Geological Survey recorded a Magnitude 5.4 Earthquake at a depth of 10.0 km beneath the northen Red Sea, roughly 77 km to the southeast if the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh at about 4.30 pm local time (about 2.30 pm GMT) on Tuesday 16 June 2020. There are no reports of any serious damage or injuries from this quake, but it was felt in Egypt and SAaudi Arabia.

The approximate location of the 16 June 2020 Red Sea Earthquake. USGS.

The Red Sea, while referred to as a sea, is technically an immature ocean, underlain by the Red Sea Rift, a spreading boundary between two tectonic plates, the African Plate and the Arabian, where new oceanic crust is being formed. Arabia was formerly part of the African Plate, but split away about 30 million years ago. The Great Rift Valley of Africa is a continuation of this rift, that is slowly splitting Africa in two from the north to the south. This rifting exerts pressure on the rocks around the margin of the sea, slowly pushing them apart, not smoothly but in fits and starts as the pressure overcomes the tendency of the rocks to stick together. 

The relative movements of the African and Arabian Plates. School of Earth and Environment/University of Leeds.

Witness accounts of Earthquakes can help geologists to understand these events, and the structures that cause them. The international non-profit organisation Earthquake Report is interested in hearing from people who may have felt this event; if you felt this quake then you can report it to Earthquake Report here.

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Magnitude 4.7 Earthquake off the coast of Syria.

The United States Geological Survey recorded a Magnitude 4.7 Earthquake at a depth of 12.7 km roughly 40 km off the coast of Syria at about 8.15 pm local time (about 6.15 pm GMT) on Friday 3 April 2020. There are no reports of any serious damage or injuries from this quake, but it was felt in Syria and Cyprus.

The approximate location of the 3 April 2020 Syria Earthquake. USGS.

Coastal Syria lies on the boundary between the African and Arabian Plates, and is bisected by the Dead Sea Transform Margin (sometimes the Levant Transform Margin or Levant Transform Fault), with the east of the country located on the Arabian Plate, and the west on the African Plate. Both of these plates are moving northward, but the Arabian Plate is moving at a greater rate, driven by seafloor spreading beneath the Red Sea, creating a leading to transform movement on the plate margin in Lebanon, with the Arabian Plate moving northward relative to the African Plate. 

The relative movements of the African and Arabian Plates. School of Earth and Environment/University of Leeds.

Sea floor spreading is occurring at a faster rate beneath the southern Red Sea than the north, with the effect that the Arabian Plate is also rotating relative to the African Plate. This results in a slightly complex situation in Lebanon, with a network of faults underlying the region, all with the potential for movement, which can result in quakes anywhere in the country.

 

Witness accounts of Earthquakes can help geologists to understand these events, and the structures that cause them. The international non-profit organisation Earthquake Report is interested in hearing from people who may have felt this event; if you felt this quake then you can report it to Earthquake Report here.

 

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Magnitude 5.2 Earthquake in the Afar Region of Ethiopia.

The United States Geological Survey recorded a Magnitude 5.2 Earthquake at a depth of 10.0 km, in the northern part of the Afar Region of Ethiopia, slightly before 1.30 pm local time (slightly before 10.30 am GMT) on Saturday 24 March 2018. There are no reports of any damage or injuries arising from this quake, but it was feltlocally, and it is possible that some minor damage has occurred.

The approximate location of the 24 March 2018 Ethiopian Earthquake. USGS.

The deserts of Northern Ethiopia and Southern Eritrea are extremely volcanically active, with dozens of volcanoes fed by an emerging divergent margin along the East African Rift; Erta Ale is on the Ethiopian Rift, the boundary between the Nubian Plate and the Danakil Microplate. The African Plate is slowly splitting apart along the Ethiopian Rift and the East African Rift to the south (which is splitting the Nubian Plate to the West from the Somali Plate to the East). Arabia was a part of Africa till about thirty million years ago, when it was split away by the opening of the Red Sea Rift (part of the same rift system), and in time the Ethiopian and East African Rifts are likely to split Africa into a number of new landmasses. This rifting exerts pressure on the rocks around the margin of the sea, slowly pushing them apart, not smoothly but in fits and starts as the pressure overcomes the tendency of the rocks to stick together, creating shocks that we experience as Earthquakes.

Rifting in East Africa. The Danakil Microplate is the red triangle to the east of the Afar depression at the southern end of the Red Sea. Università degli Studi di Firenze.

Witness accounts of Earthquakes can help geologists to understand these events, and the structures that cause them. The international non-profit organisation Earthquake Report is interested in hearing from people who may have felt this event; if you felt this quake then you can report it to Earthquake Report here.

 

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Pair of Earthquakes off the coast of Djibouti.

The United States Geological Survey recorded a Magnitude 4.7 Earthquake at a depth of 10 km, beneath the Gulf of Tadjoura on the coast of Djibouti, slightly before 9.50 am local time (slightly before 5.55 am GMT) on Friday 14 April 2017. This was followed by a second event of the same magnitude and depth slightly before 2.45 pm local time (slightly before 10.45 am local time). There are no reports of any damage or injuries arising from these quake, but were felt in the city of Djibouti, capitol of the country.

The approximate location of the 14 April 2017 Djibouti Earthquakes. USGS.

Djibouti is located on the western shore of the Red Sea, which while referred to as a sea, is technically an immature ocean, underlain by the Red Sea Rift, a spreading boundary between two tectonic plates, the African Plate and the Arabian, where new oceanic crust is being formed. Arabia was formerly part of the African Plate, but split away about 30 million years ago. The Great Rift Valley of Africa is a continuation of this rift, that is slowly splitting Africa in two from the north to the south. This rifting exerts pressure on the rocks around the margin of the sea, slowly pushing them apart, not smoothly but in fits and starts as the pressure overcomes the tendency of the rocks to stick together.

 

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Eruptive activity on Erte Ale.

Eyewitnesses have reported a bout of fresh activity on Erte Ale (or Erta Ale), an active shield volcano in the north of Ethiopia, during the first weeks of January 2017. Infrared cameras mounted on satellites recorded a sharp increase in temperatures beneath the volcano on 19 December 2016, with temperatures remaining high at the time of writing. The volcano was visited by a group of tourists travelling with Volcano Discovery on 16-19 January, who reported lava fountains and lava overtopping the crater, producing lava rivers on several flanks. On 21 January local residents reported a new fissure on the southeast flank of the volcano, about 7 km from the caldera, producing a significant lava flow.

Lava overflowing the caldera of Erta Ale on 17 January 2017. Enku Mulugeta/Volcano Discovery.

Erta Ale is on the Ethiopian Rift, the boundary between the Nubian Plate and the Danakil Microplate. The African Plate is slowly splitting apart along the Ethiopian Rift and the East African Rift to the south (which is splitting the Nubian Plate to the West from the Somali Plate to the East). Arabia was a part of Africa till about thirty million years ago, when it was split away by the opening of the Red Sea Rift (part of the same rift system), and in time the Ethiopian and East African Rifts are likely to split Africa into a number of new landmasses.

Rifting in East Africa. The Danakil Microplate is the red triangle to the east of the Afar depression at the southern end of the Red Sea. Università degli Studi di Firenze.

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