M6.3 Earthquake 32 km NNE of Zindah Jān, Afghanistan — October 7, 2023
2023-10-07 06:41:03 UTC (2023-10-07) · approx. 10:41 AM UTC+4 local
Maximum shaking intensity MMI 7.7 (severe).
On October 7, 2023 at 06:41 UTC, a magnitude 6.3 shallow crustal earthquake struck 32 km NNE of Zindah Jān, Afghanistan, at a depth of 14.0 km and coordinates 34.5982°, 61.9263°. The USGS PAGER system issued a orange alert level for this event, indicating regional impact possible. This earthquake was detected by 279 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 1000, making it one of the more significant events of the week. The nearest populated place is Zindah Jan (population 10,104).
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 6.3 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 43 kilotons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 13 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
The epicenter is located in Afghanistan, a region characterized by the Hindu Kush deep seismic zone, where remnant subducted lithosphere produces intermediate-depth earthquakes at 150-300 km. View all earthquakes in Afghanistan.
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 | 302,903 |
| MMI 4 | light | 2,457,271 |
| MMI 5 | moderate | 672,213 |
| MMI 6 | strong | 1,184,855 |
| MMI 7 | very strong | 58,378 |
| MMI 8 | severe | 319 |
Earthquake Details
61.9263°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 6.3 earthquake near Zindah Jān, Afghanistan?
The magnitude 6.3 earthquake that struck 32 km NNE of Zindah Jān, Afghanistan on October 7, 2023 at 06:41 UTC had a depth of 14.0 km. For context, this was a strong earthquake capable of causing significant damage.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 34.5982°, 61.9263°, which is 32 km NNE of Zindah Jān, Afghanistan. The nearest populated place is Zindah Jan (population 10,104). View all earthquakes in Afghanistan.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 6.3 earthquakes can continue for weeks to months and gradually diminish over time.
Has Afghanistan had earthquakes this big before?
The largest recorded earthquake in Afghanistan was the M7.5 Hindu Kush earthquake of October 26, 2015. Today's magnitude 6.3 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000ldpg). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2023, October 7, 2023). M6.3 Earthquake 32 km NNE of Zindah Jān, Afghanistan — October 7, 2023. Retrieved August 7, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000ldpg/