Tanzania earthquakes

M6.0 earthquake 121 km E of Madimba, Tanzania

A magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck 121 km E of Madimba, Tanzania on Tue, May 14, 1985, 4:24 PM GMT+3 (13:24 UTC), 10 km (6 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M6.4 120 km E of Madimba, Tanzania. This one was a foreshock.

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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: 6.0 (mw), strong
Local time: Tue, May 14, 1985, 4:24 PM GMT+3
UTC: 1985-05-14 13:24:57 UTC
Depth: 10.0 km (6.2 mi), shallow
Epicenter: 10.610° S, 41.423° E
Region: Tanzania
Strongest shaking: V, moderate 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: V, moderate shaking
Peak ground acceleration: 3.7% of gravity
Peak ground velocity: 1.0 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

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 2.5 and up: 28 in the 60 days after this one and 0 in the 30 days before it.

After

Earthquakes today Tanzania earthquakes Live radar here

Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event usp0002etu (also filed as gcmtb051485a, gcmt19850514132457, iscgem524989). Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 10:30 PM UTC.