M6.4 Earthquake 63 km NNW of Bandar Abbas, Iran — November 14, 2021
2021-11-14 12:08:38 UTC (2021-11-14) · approx. 4:08 PM UTC+4 local
Felt by 207 people across surrounding communities. Maximum shaking intensity MMI 8.7 (violent).
On November 14, 2021 at 12:08 UTC, a magnitude 6.4 shallow crustal earthquake struck 63 km NNW of Bandar Abbas, Iran, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates 27.7266°, 56.0716°. The earthquake was reported felt by 207 peopleacross surrounding communities, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 8.7 (violent). The USGS PAGER system issued a red alert level for this event, indicating widespread severe impact likely. The nearest populated place is Bandar Abbas (population 352,173).
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 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
Nearest Populated Places
What the Shaking Felt Like
At MMI 8.7 (violent), people in the most strongly affected areas would have experienced: Severe shaking causing considerable damage. Buildings may shift off foundations. Walls crack and may partially collapse. Heavy furniture overturned.
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 207 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 | 13,246,614 |
| MMI 4 | light | 7,645,541 |
| MMI 5 | moderate | 577,627 |
| MMI 6 | strong | 319,769 |
| MMI 7 | very strong | 396,035 |
| MMI 8 | severe | 7,700 |
Earthquake Details
56.0716°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 6.4 earthquake near Bandar Abbas, Iran?
The magnitude 6.4 earthquake that struck 63 km NNW of Bandar Abbas, Iran on November 14, 2021 at 12:08 UTC had a depth of 10.0 km. It was felt by 207 people with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 8.7 (violent). For context, this was a strong earthquake capable of causing significant damage.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 27.7266°, 56.0716°, which is 63 km NNW of Bandar Abbas, Iran. The nearest populated place is Bandar Abbas (population 352,173). View all earthquakes in Iran.
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 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 6.4 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Actions
Location
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000fu12). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2021, November 14, 2021). M6.4 Earthquake 63 km NNW of Bandar Abbas, Iran — November 14, 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000fu12/