M5.3 Earthquake 101 km NE of Aksu, China — March 23, 2021
2021-03-23 21:14:18 UTC (2021-03-23) · approx. 2:14 AM UTC+5 local
Maximum shaking intensity MMI 6.5 (very strong).
On March 23, 2021 at 21:14 UTC, a magnitude 5.3 shallow crustal earthquake struck 101 km NE of Aksu, China, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates 41.8177°, 81.1623°. The USGS PAGER system issued a yellow alert level for this event, indicating local impact possible. The nearest populated place is Qarqi (population 0).
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.3 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 1 kilotons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 2.7 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
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
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 | 2,954,029 |
| MMI 4 | light | 232,528 |
| MMI 5 | moderate | 30,725 |
| MMI 6 | strong | 8,082 |
Earthquake Details
81.1623°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.3 earthquake near Aksu, China?
The magnitude 5.3 earthquake that struck 101 km NE of Aksu, China on March 23, 2021 at 21:14 UTC had a depth of 10.0 km. For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 41.8177°, 81.1623°, which is 101 km NE of Aksu, China. The nearest populated place is Qarqi (population 0).
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.3 earthquakes can continue for days to weeks and gradually diminish over time.
Actions
Location
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000dvwp). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2021, March 23, 2021). M5.3 Earthquake 101 km NE of Aksu, China — March 23, 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000dvwp/