Botswana earthquakes

M5.2 earthquake 56 km ESE of Mathathane, Botswana

A magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck 56 km ESE of Mathathane, Botswana on Wed, Aug 29, 1973, 5:06 PM GMT+2 (15:06 UTC), 33 km (21 mi) below the surface.

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Map

Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.

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The earthquake

Magnitude
5.2 (mb), moderate
Local time
UTC
1973-08-29 15:06:05 UTC
Depth
33.0 km (20.5 mi), shallow
Epicenter
22.484° S, 29.245° E
Region
Botswana
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
Peak ground acceleration
24.4% of gravity
Peak ground velocity
1.8 cm/s
Map
Automatic
USGS ShakeMap: estimated shaking intensity around the epicenter
Estimated shaking intensity. Map: USGS ShakeMap.

Did you feel it?

No one has reported feeling this quake to the USGS.

How well it is located

Reviewed by a seismologist.

Depth from
OPERATOR_ASSIGNED
Stations used
6

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 2.2 and up: 0 in the 60 days after this one and 0 in the 30 days before it.

None recorded.

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event usp0000390 (also filed as atlas19730829150605). Read Mon, Sep 21, 2026, 4:44 PM UTC.