M5.3 Earthquake 4 km WSW of Sincik, Turkey — February 7, 2023
2023-02-07 10:18:14 UTC (2023-02-07) · approx. 1:18 PM UTC+3 local
Maximum shaking intensity MMI 6.3 (very strong).
On February 7, 2023 at 10:18 UTC, a magnitude 5.3 shallow crustal earthquake struck 4 km WSW of Sincik, Turkey, at a depth of 13.0 km and coordinates 38.0164°, 38.5700°. The USGS PAGER system issued a green alert level for this event, indicating no significant casualties or damage expected. This earthquake was detected by 204 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 432, placing it among routine seismic activity. The nearest populated place is Yarpuzlu (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.
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
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 | 11,304,092 |
| MMI 4 | light | 1,695,504 |
| MMI 5 | moderate | 39,811 |
| MMI 6 | strong | 5,404 |
Earthquake Details
38.5700°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.3 earthquake near Sincik, Turkey?
The magnitude 5.3 earthquake that struck 4 km WSW of Sincik, Turkey on February 7, 2023 at 10:18 UTC had a depth of 13.0 km. For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 38.0164°, 38.5700°, which is 4 km WSW of Sincik, Turkey. The nearest populated place is Yarpuzlu (population 0). View all earthquakes in Turkey.
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 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 5.3 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000jm7f). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2023, February 7, 2023). M5.3 Earthquake 4 km WSW of Sincik, Turkey — February 7, 2023. Retrieved April 15, 2023 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000jm7f/