M5.6 Earthquake 18 km NNE of Sincik, Turkey — August 4, 2020
2020-08-04 09:37:37 UTC (2020-08-04) · approx. 12:37 PM UTC+3 local
Felt by 4 people across nearby locations. Maximum shaking intensity MMI 6.7 (very strong).
On August 4, 2020 at 09:37 UTC, a magnitude 5.6 shallow crustal earthquake struck 18 km NNE of Sincik, Turkey, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates 38.1878°, 38.6980°. The earthquake was reported felt by 4 peopleacross nearby locations, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 6.7 (very strong). The USGS PAGER system issued a green alert level for this event, indicating no significant casualties or damage expected. The nearest populated place is Tepehan (population 0).
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.6 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 4 kilotons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 4.4 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
The epicenter is located in Turkey, a region characterized by the North Anatolian Fault, a 1,500 km transform boundary driven by the westward extrusion of the Anatolian microplate. The nearest mapped fault system is the North Anatolian Fault. View all earthquakes in Turkey.
Learn more: Magnitude scale · Aftershock sequences
Nearest Populated Places
ShakeMap — predicted shaking intensity
Modeled ground-motion intensity contoured on the Modified Mercalli scale (MMI). Computed by the USGS from the moment-tensor solution and regional ground-motion prediction equations.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey ShakeMap. View interactive ShakeMap on USGS
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 4 citizen responses to the USGS Did You Feel It? system. Each colored zone represents the average MMI from reports in that area.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey Did You Feel It?. View on USGS · submit your own report
Population exposure (USGS PAGER)
Estimated population that experienced each level of shaking. Based on the USGS PAGER rapid impact assessment, which combines ShakeMap output with global population grids.
| Shaking intensity (MMI) | Description | Population exposed |
|---|---|---|
| MMI 3 | weak | 11,853,608 |
| MMI 4 | light | 2,388,446 |
| MMI 5 | moderate | 66,562 |
| MMI 6 | strong | 15,554 |
Earthquake Details
38.6980°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.6 earthquake near Sincik, Turkey?
The magnitude 5.6 earthquake that struck 18 km NNE of Sincik, Turkey on August 4, 2020 at 09:37 UTC had a depth of 10.0 km. It was felt by 4 people with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 6.7 (very strong). For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 38.1878°, 38.6980°, which is 18 km NNE of Sincik, Turkey. The nearest populated place is Tepehan (population 0). View all earthquakes in Turkey.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.6 earthquakes can continue for days to weeks and gradually diminish over time.
Has Turkey had earthquakes this big before?
The largest recorded earthquake in Turkey was the M7.8 Kahramanmaraş earthquake of February 6, 2023. Today's magnitude 5.6 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000b930). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2020, August 4, 2020). M5.6 Earthquake 18 km NNE of Sincik, Turkey — August 4, 2020. Retrieved December 22, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000b930/