M5.3 Earthquake 44 km NE of Al Hoceïma, Morocco — August 28, 2021
2021-08-28 11:20:49 UTC (2021-08-28) · approx. 11:20 AM UTC+0 local
Felt by 13 people across nearby locations.
On August 28, 2021 at 11:20 UTC, a magnitude 5.3 shallow crustal earthquake struck 44 km NE of Al Hoceïma, Morocco, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates 35.4853°, -3.5403°.
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.
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
-3.5403°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.3 earthquake near Al Hoceïma, Morocco?
The magnitude 5.3 earthquake that struck 44 km NE of Al Hoceïma, Morocco on August 28, 2021 at 11:20 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 35.4853°, -3.5403°, which is 44 km NE of Al Hoceïma, Morocco.
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: us7000f57a). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2021, August 28, 2021). M5.3 Earthquake 44 km NE of Al Hoceïma, Morocco — August 28, 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000f57a/