January 6, 1928 Earthquake: Subukia, Kenya

1928 Jan 06, 19:31:58.48 UTC, 0.278 N 35.628 E, magnitude 6.89 Mw (reference #10476)

1928 Jan 06, 0.2 N 6.2 E, magnitude 6.9 Ms. An earthquake of magnitude 6.9 occurred in Subukia valley in Kenya on 6 January 1928. This earthquake was the earliest and largest recorded earthquake in the Gregory Rift (Ambraseys, 1991b). No casualties were recorded since the epicentral area was very sparsely populated. Further away from the fault break, damage was widespread and mainly affected stone houses and adobe farmhouses. The shaking was widespread and felt as far as Lake Victoria (Fig. 15.4). The earthquake was associated with a normal fault surface rupture greater than 30 km long in the Kenya (Gregory) Rift (Ambraseys, 1991b; Ambraseys and Adams, 1991). (reference #13028)

1928 Jan 06, magnitude 6.9 Ms. This relatively large magnitude earthquake in the Subukia Valley in Kenya was associated with a 30 km long normal surface rupture. Much of the damage caused by the shock and its aftershock of 10 January (Ms 6) occurred within a distance of about 20 km from the fault break. The epicentral area was very sparsely settled and there were no casualties. Further away from the fault break damage was widespread but not serious and mainly affected stone masonry houses and adobe farmhouses. The shock was widely felt (Figure A22), and exhibited long-period effects at large distances particularly along the coast and the shore of Lake Victoria. (reference #13029)