Shallow quake shakes tectonic rift between Somalia and Yemen coasts

A magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck the Gulf of Aden on Friday, 28 August, with the tremor originating between the coasts of Somalia and Yemen. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) recorded the seismic event at 12:07 AM local time (21:07 GMT on Thursday), locating the epicenter approximately 145 kilometers off the Somali coastline. Seismic Data and Discrepancies The USGS classified the quake as a shallow event, which typically increases the intensity of tremors felt at the surface. Data provided by the GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences and reported by the Egyptian Gazette cited a slightly higher magnitude of 6.2. The tremor occurred at 1:07 AM Gulf Standard Time (GST). There were no immediate reports of casualties or significant structural damage from coastal authorities in Yemen or Somalia following the offshore event. Regional monitoring stations in the Arabian Peninsula and East Africa tracked the activity, which occurred in a known tectonic subduction zone where the African and Arabian plates meet. Regional Seismic Activity The earthquake follows a period of heightened seismic activity across the region. Recent data from national monitoring centers confirmed a 4.9-magnitude earthquake in the Arabian Sea recorded by Oman, and a 5.0-magnitude tremor in southern Iran that was felt by residents across the Gulf. Additionally, a 5.3-magnitude quake was recently documented near Suez, Egypt. Geologists monitor the Gulf of Aden closely due to the active spreading…