M5.3 Earthquake 49 km NE of Xaçmaz, Azerbaijan — July 3, 2023
2023-07-03 20:01:49 UTC (2023-07-03) · approx. 11:01 PM UTC+3 local
Felt by 116 people across surrounding communities. Maximum shaking intensity MMI 4.3 (moderate).
On July 3, 2023 at 20:01 UTC, a magnitude 5.3 shallow crustal earthquake struck 49 km NE of Xaçmaz, Azerbaijan, at a depth of 53.0 km and coordinates 41.7302°, 49.2849°. The earthquake was reported felt by 116 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. This earthquake was detected by 103 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 515, placing it among routine seismic activity. The nearest populated place is Xacmaz (population 37,175).
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
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 116 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 | 7,131,821 |
| MMI 4 | light | 805,699 |
Earthquake Details
49.2849°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.3 earthquake near Xaçmaz, Azerbaijan?
The magnitude 5.3 earthquake that struck 49 km NE of Xaçmaz, Azerbaijan on July 3, 2023 at 20:01 UTC had a depth of 53.0 km. It was felt by 116 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 41.7302°, 49.2849°, which is 49 km NE of Xaçmaz, Azerbaijan. The nearest populated place is Xacmaz (population 37,175).
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.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000kpxj). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2023, July 3, 2023). M5.3 Earthquake 49 km NE of Xaçmaz, Azerbaijan — July 3, 2023. Retrieved September 9, 2023 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000kpxj/