M5.9 Earthquake in the Tajikistan-Xinjiang border region — February 12, 2021
2021-02-12 17:01:35 UTC (2021-02-12) · approx. 10:01 PM UTC+5 local
Felt by 454 people across surrounding communities. Maximum shaking intensity MMI 4.3 (moderate).
On February 12, 2021 at 17:01 UTC, a magnitude 5.9 intermediate depth earthquake struck in the Tajikistan-Xinjiang border region, at a depth of 98.0 km and coordinates 38.1357°, 73.5448°. The earthquake was reported felt by 454 peopleacross surrounding communities, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 4.3 (moderate). The USGS PAGER system issued a green alert level for this event, indicating no significant casualties or damage expected. The nearest populated place is Murghob (population 10,815).
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.9 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 11 kilotons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 7.1 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
Nearest Populated Places
What the Shaking Felt Like
At MMI 4.3 (moderate), people in the most strongly affected areas would have experienced: Mild shaking, similar to a passing truck. Hanging objects swing. Glasses and dishes may rattle. Not commonly felt outdoors.
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 454 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 | 730,251 |
| MMI 4 | light | 92,733 |
Earthquake Details
73.5448°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.9 earthquake in the Tajikistan-Xinjiang border region?
The magnitude 5.9 earthquake that struck in the Tajikistan-Xinjiang border region on February 12, 2021 at 17:01 UTC had a depth of 98.0 km. It was felt by 454 people with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 4.3 (moderate). For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 38.1357°, 73.5448°, which is in the Tajikistan-Xinjiang border region. The nearest populated place is Murghob (population 10,815).
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.9 earthquakes can continue for days to weeks and gradually diminish over time.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000dh48). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2021, February 12, 2021). M5.9 Earthquake in the Tajikistan-Xinjiang border region — February 12, 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000dh48/