M5.2 earthquake 61 km SE of Gwembe, Zambia
A magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck 61 km SE of Gwembe, Zambia on Tue, Dec 12, 1972, 5:18 AM GMT+2 (03:18 UTC), 15 km (9 mi) below the surface.
A larger quake followed: M5.6 44 km ESE of Gwembe, Zambia. This one was a foreshock.
Map
Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Magnitude
- 5.2 (mw), moderate
- Local time
- UTC
- 1972-12-12 03:18:46 UTC
- Depth
- 15.0 km (9.3 mi), shallow
- Epicenter
- 16.815° S, 28.082° E
- Region
- Zambia
- Strongest shaking
- VI, strong shaking
- Tsunami flag
- No
- Status
- Reviewed by a seismologist
Shaking
The USGS ShakeMap: shaking estimated from seismic stations and the quake’s size, on the Modified Mercalli intensity scale.
- Strongest estimated
- VI, strong shaking
- Map
- Automatic
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
- ±0.69
- Depth from
- From location
Nearest places
Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.
Nearby
Within 100 km, magnitude 2.2 and up: 2 in the 60 days after this one and 0 in the 30 days before it.
After
Earthquakes todayZambia earthquakesLive radar here
Sources
From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event iscgem766046 (also filed as atlas19721212031845). Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 10:30 PM UTC.