2005 Lake Tanganyika earthquake
  Location within Tanzania  Location within Democratic Republic of the Congo  Location within Africa | |
| UTC time |
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|---|---|
| ISC event | |
| USGS-ANSS | |
| Local date |
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| Local time | |
| Magnitude |
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| Depth |
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| Epicenter | 6°17′S 29°46′E / 6.29°S 29.76°E |
| Fault | East African Rift |
| Type | Dip-slip |
| Areas affected | Tanzania, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi |
| Max. intensity | MMI X (Extreme) |
| Casualties | 8 dead, 5 injured |
On 5 December 2005, at 15:19:56 EAT, a Mw 6.8 earthquake struck Lake Tanganyika in East Africa.[1] It killed eight people, injured several more, and destroyed hundreds of homes, mostly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Tectonic setting
The East African Rift (EAR) is a 3,000 km (1,900 mi) long Cenozoic age continental rift extending from the Afar triple junction between the horn of Africa and the Middle East, to western Mozambique. Segments of active extension occur from the Indian Ocean west to Botswana and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). It is the only rift system in the world that is active on a continental scale, providing geologists with a view of how continental rifts develop over time into oceanic spreading centers like the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.[1]
Earthquake
The earthquake had a magnitude of Mw 6.8 and a depth of 22 km (14 mi) according to the International Seismological Centre. Its epicenter was located on the Tanzanian shores of Lake Tanganyika, near the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo.[2] It was caused by dip-slip faulting[3] and the earthquake had a maximum Mercalli intensity of X (Extreme).[4]
The earthquake was felt in Burundi, Tanzania, Rwanda, and as far away as Mombasa, Kenya, and Luanda, Angola; hundreds of people evacuated buildings due to the shaking in Nairobi.[5] By 16 December, 12 aftershocks exceeding Mw 4.0 were recorded, the strongest of which measured Mwc 5.5 and struck on 9 December.[6]
Impact
In Kigoma Region, a child was killed by a collapsing wall and a 65-year-old woman sustained a femur fracture. Fifty-four houses and a mosque were destroyed, and 705 others as well as numerous structures were damaged in the region.[7] In the Democratic Republic of Congo, six people were killed, three were injured,[8] and 300 houses and a church collapsed in Kalemie.[1] In Makamba, Burundi, one person died and another was injured after a structure collapsed.[9]
See also
References
- 1 2 3 ANSS. "M 6.8 - 76 km ESE of Kalemie, Democratic Republic of the Congo 2005". Comprehensive Catalog. U.S. Geological Survey.
- ↑ ISC (2015), ISC-GEM Global Instrumental Earthquake Catalogue (1900–2009), Version 2.0, International Seismological Centre
- ↑ PAGER-CAT Earthquake Catalog, Version 2008_06.1, United States Geological Survey, 4 September 2009
- ↑ EXPO-CAT Earthquake Catalog, Version 2007-12, United States Geological Survey, 1 December 2008
- ↑ "Powerful quake rocks East Africa". BBC News. 6 December 2005. Archived from the original on 10 December 2005. Retrieved 6 December 2005.
- ↑ USGS. "Search earthquake catalog".
- ↑ IFRC (30 December 2005). "Powerful quake rocks East Africa". ReliefWeb. Retrieved 27 May 2025.
- ↑ "Magnitude 6.8 quake kills at least two in Congo". NBC News. 5 December 2005. Retrieved 5 December 2005.
- ↑ IFRC (11 December 2005). "Burundi Situation Report: 5 - 11 Dec 2005". ReliefWeb. Retrieved 27 May 2025.