M5.3 Earthquake 104 km S of No?rat?b?d, Iran — May 23, 2022
2022-05-23 07:36:46 UTC (2022-05-23) · approx. 11:36 AM UTC+4 local
On May 23, 2022 at 07:36 UTC, a magnitude 5.3 shallow crustal earthquake struck 104 km S of No?rat?b?d, Iran, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates 28.9568°, 59.9333°. This earthquake was detected by 160 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 432, placing it among routine seismic activity.
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.
The epicenter is located in Iran, a region characterized by the Zagros fold-and-thrust belt, where the Arabian Plate collides with Eurasia at 20-25 mm per year. The nearest mapped fault system is the Zagros Fault. View all earthquakes in Iran.
Learn more: Magnitude scale · Aftershock sequences
Earthquake Details
59.9333°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.3 earthquake near No?rat?b?d, Iran?
The magnitude 5.3 earthquake that struck 104 km S of No?rat?b?d, Iran on May 23, 2022 at 07:36 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 28.9568°, 59.9333°, which is 104 km S of No?rat?b?d, Iran. View all earthquakes in Iran.
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.
Has Iran had earthquakes this big before?
The largest recorded earthquake in Iran was the M7.8 Tabas earthquake of September 16, 1978. Today's magnitude 5.3 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
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Location
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000hn84). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2022, May 23, 2022). M5.3 Earthquake 104 km S of No?rat?b?d, Iran — May 23, 2022. Retrieved August 2, 2022 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000hn84/