Zimbabwe earthquakes

M5.6 earthquake 146 km SE of Chipinge, Zimbabwe

A magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck 146 km SE of Chipinge, Zimbabwe on Wed, Mar 15, 2006, 4:19 PM GMT+2 (14:19 UTC), 7 km (4 mi) below the surface.

Chipinge forecast More in Zimbabwe

Map

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

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The earthquake

Magnitude: 5.6 (mwb), moderate
Local time: Wed, Mar 15, 2006, 4:19 PM GMT+2
UTC: 2006-03-15 14:19:48 UTC
Depth: 7.0 km (4.3 mi), shallow
Epicenter: 21.155° S, 33.584° E
Region: Zimbabwe
Felt reports: 14
Strongest shaking: VII, very 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: VII, very strong shaking
Peak ground acceleration: 29.4% of gravity
Peak ground velocity: 3.2 cm/s
Map: Automatic

USGS ShakeMap: estimated shaking intensity around the epicenter — Estimated shaking intensity. Map: USGS ShakeMap.

Did you feel it?

14 people reported to the USGS what they felt; the strongest reported shaking was IV, light shaking.

Fault motion and ground failure

How the rock slipped, from the moment tensor, and the USGS estimate of landslides and liquefaction.

Faulting: Oblique normal
Nodal plane 1: Strike 301°, dip 52°, rake -141°
Nodal plane 2: Strike 185°, dip 61°, rake -46°

How well it is located

Reviewed by a seismologist.

Depth from: OPERATOR_ASSIGNED
Station coverage gap: 40°
Stations used: 303

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 2.5 and up: 20 in the 60 days after this one and 50 in the 30 days before it.

After

Before

Earthquakes today Zimbabwe earthquakes Live radar here

Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event usp000ec7j (also filed as us2006khas, choy20060315141948, gcmtc200603151419a, gcmt20060315141948, atlas20060315141948, iscgem10604267). Read Mon, Sep 21, 2026, 10:19 PM UTC.