M6.4 Earthquake 45 km SSW of Jurm, Afghanistan — January 11, 2024
2024-01-11 09:20:26 UTC (2024-01-11) · approx. 2:20 PM UTC+5 local
Felt by 111 people across surrounding communities. Maximum shaking intensity MMI 4.2 (moderate).
On January 11, 2024 at 09:20 UTC, a magnitude 6.4 intermediate depth earthquake struck 45 km SSW of Jurm, Afghanistan, at a depth of 204.0 km and coordinates 36.4979°, 70.6013°. The earthquake was reported felt by 111 peopleacross surrounding communities, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 4.2 (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 140 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 687, making it a moderate-impact event. The nearest populated place is Mashhad (population 0).
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 6.4 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 60 kilotons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 16 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
What the Shaking Felt Like
At MMI 4.2 (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 111 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 | 1,841,465 |
| MMI 4 | light | 13,388,794 |
Earthquake Details
70.6013°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 6.4 earthquake near Jurm, Afghanistan?
The magnitude 6.4 earthquake that struck 45 km SSW of Jurm, Afghanistan on January 11, 2024 at 09:20 UTC had a depth of 204.0 km. It was felt by 111 people with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 4.2 (moderate). For context, this was a strong earthquake capable of causing significant damage.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 36.4979°, 70.6013°, which is 45 km SSW of Jurm, Afghanistan. The nearest populated place is Mashhad (population 0). View all earthquakes in Afghanistan.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 6.4 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 6.4 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000m31m). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2024, January 11, 2024). M6.4 Earthquake 45 km SSW of Jurm, Afghanistan — January 11, 2024. Retrieved March 16, 2024 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000m31m/