M5.3 Earthquake 234 km NNW of Kuril’sk, Russia — September 12, 2021
2021-09-12 02:32:25 UTC (2021-09-12) · approx. 12:32 PM UTC+10 local
Felt by 1 person across nearby locations.
On September 12, 2021 at 02:32 UTC, a magnitude 5.3 deep-focus earthquake struck 234 km NNW of Kuril’sk, Russia, at a depth of 358.0 km and coordinates 47.1933°, 146.7710°.
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 Russia, a region characterized by the Kuril-Kamchatka subduction zone on the northwestern Pacific Ring of Fire. The nearest mapped fault system is the Kuril-Kamchatka Trench. View all earthquakes in Russia.
Learn more: Magnitude scale · Aftershock sequences
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 1 citizen response 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
146.7710°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.3 earthquake near Kuril’sk, Russia?
The magnitude 5.3 earthquake that struck 234 km NNW of Kuril’sk, Russia on September 12, 2021 at 02:32 UTC had a depth of 358.0 km. For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 47.1933°, 146.7710°, which is 234 km NNW of Kuril’sk, Russia. View all earthquakes in Russia.
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 Russia had earthquakes this big before?
The largest recorded earthquake in Russia was the M9.0 Kamchatka earthquake of November 4, 1952. Today's magnitude 5.3 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000faf5). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2021, September 12, 2021). M5.3 Earthquake 234 km NNW of Kuril’sk, Russia — September 12, 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000faf5/