Ethiopia earthquakes

M6.0 earthquake 47 km NE of ?wash, Ethiopia

A magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck 47 km NE of ?wash, Ethiopia on Sun, Sep 18, 1938, 3:23 AM GMT+2:45 (00:38 UTC), 15 km (9 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M6.0 28 km ESE of Debre S?na, Ethiopia. This one was a foreshock.

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The earthquake

Magnitude
6.0 (mw), moderate
Local time
UTC
1938-09-18 00:38:37 UTC
Depth
15.0 km (9.3 mi), shallow
Epicenter
9.320° N, 40.430° E
Region
Ethiopia
Tsunami flag
No
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

Did you feel it?

No one has reported feeling this quake to the USGS.

How well it is located

Reviewed by a seismologist.

Magnitude uncertainty
±0.20
Depth from
From location

Nearest places

Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 2.5 and up: 2 in the 60 days after this one and 0 in the 30 days before it.

After

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event iscgem902677. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 10:58 AM UTC.