M5.3 Earthquake 18 km NNE of Rāmshīr, Iran — October 15, 2023
2023-10-15 11:15:37 UTC (2023-10-15) · approx. 2:15 PM UTC+3 local
Felt by 13 people across nearby locations.
On October 15, 2023 at 11:15 UTC, a magnitude 5.3 shallow crustal earthquake struck 18 km NNE of Rāmshīr, Iran, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates 31.0601°, 49.4494°. This earthquake was detected by 133 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 439, 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
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 13 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
Earthquake Details
49.4494°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.3 earthquake near Rāmshīr, Iran?
The magnitude 5.3 earthquake that struck 18 km NNE of Rāmshīr, Iran on October 15, 2023 at 11:15 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 31.0601°, 49.4494°, which is 18 km NNE of Rāmshīr, 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: us6000lfq9). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2023, October 15, 2023). M5.3 Earthquake 18 km NNE of Rāmshīr, Iran — October 15, 2023. Retrieved December 26, 2023 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000lfq9/