Tanzania earthquakes

M6.4 earthquake 120 km E of Madimba, Tanzania

A magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck 120 km E of Madimba, Tanzania on Tue, May 14, 1985, 9:11 PM GMT+3 (18:11 UTC), 10 km (6 mi) below the surface.

Mtwara forecast More in Tanzania

Map

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

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The earthquake

Magnitude: 6.4 (Mw, moment), strong
Magnitude from: USGS National Earthquake Information Center
Local time: Tue, May 14, 1985, 9:11 PM GMT+3
UTC: 1985-05-14 18:11:08 UTC
Depth: 10.0 km (6.2 mi), shallow
Epicenter: 10.562° S, 41.424° E
Region: Tanzania
Strongest shaking: V, moderate shaking
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
6.4	Mw, moment	USGS National Earthquake Information Center	Preferred · Reviewed
6.28	Mw, moment	ISC-GEM global catalog	Final · ±0.1
6.3	Mwc, centroid moment	Global CMT project	Preliminary

What happened

The USGS’s account of the effects of this earthquake.

Felt at Mtwara and Newala, Tanzania and in the Mocimbao da Praia area, Mozambique. Believed to be the largest instrumentally located hypocenter in this area. FAULT PLANE SOLUTION: P-Waves NP1:Strike=353 Dip=72 Slip=-22 NP2:Strike=90 Dip=69 Slip=-161 Principal Axes: (T) Plg=2 Azm=42 (P) Plg=28 Azm=311 Comment: The focal mechanism is poorly controlled and corresponds to strike-slip faulting with a moderate normal component. The preferred fault plane is not determined. MOMENT TENSOR SOLUTION Dep 32 No. of sta: 4 Moment Tensor; Scale 10**25 d-cm Mrr=-2.78 Mtt=2.30 Mff=0.48 Mrt=2.86 Mrf=-1.67 Mtf=-1.02 Principal axes: (T) Val=4.29 Plg=25 Azm=26 (N) Val=0.05 Plg=3 Azm=118 (P) Val=-4.34 Plg=65 Azm=214 Best Double Couple:Mo=4.3*10**25 NP1:Strike=110 Dip=20 Slip=-99 NP2:Strike=299 Dip=70 Slip=-87 CENTROID, MOMENT TENSOR (HRV) Data Used: GDSN L.P.B.: 13S, 32C M.W.: 13S, 23C Centroid Location: Origin Time 18:11:16.7 0.2 Lat 10.26S 0.02 Lon 41.36E 0.01 Dep 13.9 0.7 Half-duration 5.3 Moment Tensor; Scale 10**25 D-CM Mrr=-3.02 0.04 Mtt=0.11 0.04 Mff=2.91 0.04 Mrt=0.29 0.12 Mrf=-1.24 0.14 Mtf=-0.57 0.04 Principal Axes: (T) Val=3.28 Plg=11 Azm=79 (N) Val=0.00 Plg=1 Azm=349 (P) Val=-3.28 Plg=79 Azm=255 Best Double Couple:Mo=3.3*10**25 NP1:Strike=170 Dip=34 Slip=-89 NP2:Strike=348 Dip=56 Slip=-91

From the USGS event page for usp0002eu6. U.S. Geological Survey text and figures are in the public domain.

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: 5.0% of gravity
Peak ground velocity: 1.4 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 3.4 and up: 28 in the 60 days after this one and 1 in the 30 days before it.

After

Before

6.0121 km E of Madimba, TanzaniaTue, May 14, 4:24 PM GMT+3 · 15115 days ago · 10 km deep · 5 km away

Earthquakes today Tanzania earthquakes Live radar here

Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event usp0002eu6 (also filed as gcmtc051485b, gcmt19850514181109, iscgem525011). Read Thu, Oct 1, 2026, 9:48 AM UTC.