Magnitude 6.2 near Lake Tanganyika region

Thursday, October 24, 2002 at 6:08:37 (UTC)

Magnitude 6.2 Time Thursday, October 24, 2002 at 6:08:37(UTC) Distance from 101 km (63 miles) S (179 degrees) of Lake Tanganyika region Coordinates 1 deg. 54.3 min. S ( 1.905S) 29 deg. 0.8 min. E ( 29.013E) Depth 10.0 km (6.2 miles) Quality Error estimate: horizontal +/- 10.7 km; depth fixed by location program Comments At least two people were killed and building walls were cracked at Goma. Several buildings were destroyed at Lwiro and Mugeri. Walls were also cracked at Bukavu, Congo (Kinshasa) and Kigali, Rawanda. This earthquake was followed by a magnitude 5.5 aftershock one hour later at 9:12 AM local time in Congo (Kinshasa).

Tectonic Setting This shallow earthquake occurred in the East African Rift System. The two sides of the rift are diverging at a rate of 3 - 5 millimeters per year (0.1 - 0.2 inches per year). The majority of earthquakes in the rift occur as the result of normal faulting. The East African Rift zone is moderately seismic. Over the past 30 years an average of about five magnitude 4.5 or greater earthquakes per year occurred in the rift zone. Earthquake depths in this region range from the surface to depths of 28 miles (46 kilometers).

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