M5.1 earthquake 53 km S of Nkhata Bay, Malawi
A magnitude 5.1 earthquake struck 53 km S of Nkhata Bay, Malawi on Sun, Jan 8, 1978, 8:31 AM GMT+2 (06:31 UTC), 33 km (21 mi) below the surface.
Map
Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Magnitude
- 5.1 (mb, body-wave), moderate
- Magnitude from
- USGS National Earthquake Information Center
- Local time
- UTC
- 1978-01-08 06:31:52 UTC
- Depth
- 33.0 km (20.5 mi), shallow
- Epicenter
- 12.094° S, 34.270° E
- Region
- Malawi
- Tsunami flag
- No
- Status
- Reviewed by a seismologist
Magnitude estimates
Different scales measure different things and differ by a few tenths. The USGS marks one as preferred, and it is the one this page uses.
| Mag. | Scale | Computed by | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5.1 | mb, body-wave | USGS National Earthquake Information Center | Preferred · Reviewed |
| 4.9 | Mwc, centroid moment | Global CMT project | Preliminary |
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
- 67
Nearest places
Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.
Nearby
Within 100 km, magnitude 2.1 and up: 0 in the 60 days after this one and 0 in the 30 days before it.
None recorded.
Earthquakes todayMalawi earthquakesLive radar here
Sources
From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event usp0000sdd (also filed as gcmtb010878a, gcmt19780108063152). Read Fri, Oct 2, 2026, 5:19 AM UTC.