Significant earthquakes of 2010

December 16, 2010 Earthquake: Jima, Hosa'Ina, Shenk'Ola, Wenjela, Ethiopia

December 16, 2010 · M5.1

A magnitude 5.1 earthquake struck Jima, Hosa'Ina, Shenk'Ola, Wenjela, Ethiopia on December 16, 2010 at 12:14:24 UTC, 10 km below the surface.

Map

Where it struck, with the other significant earthquakes within 200 km. Circles are sized and colored by magnitude; select one for its page.

The earthquake

Date
December 16, 2010
Time
12:14:24 UTC
Place
Jima, Hosa'Ina, Shenk'Ola, Wenjela, Ethiopia
Magnitude
5.1 (mb)
Focal depth
10 km (6 mi)
Tsunami
None recorded
Epicenter
7.521° N, 37.839° E
Country
Ethiopia

The toll

Injuries
Many (about 101 to 1,000)
Damage
Moderate (about $1 to $5 million)
Houses damaged
Many (101 to 1,000)

Where the literature gives no number, NCEI records a description on a scale of 1 to 4, printed here in its words. Damage is in millions of US dollars of the year of the event, not adjusted for inflation.

What the record says

NCEI’s account, from the sources it cites.

Dozens of people injured in the Jima area and buildings damaged in the Hosa'ina-Shenk'ola-Wenjela area. Felt at Asendabo. (reference #1053)

Other significant earthquakes nearby

Within 200 km, the deadliest first.

More

Significant earthquakes of 2010The 2000sEvery quake the USGS located in 2010Recent earthquakes near hereThis day in weather history

Sources

Significant earthquakes from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, Global Historical Hazard Database, cited as NCEI/WDS, doi:10.7289/V5PN93H7. Public domain. Read 2026-09-24. NCEI earthquake 9827.