M4.9 Earthquake in the Hindu Kush region, Afghanistan — March 18, 2023
2023-03-18 00:00:54 UTC (2023-03-18) · approx. 5:00 AM UTC+5 local
Felt by 7 people across nearby locations.
On March 18, 2023 at 00:00 UTC, a magnitude 4.9 intermediate depth earthquake struck in the Hindu Kush region, Afghanistan, at a depth of 163.5 km and coordinates 36.5189°, 69.8936°. This earthquake was detected by 115 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 372, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.9 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 338 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 1.4 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
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 7 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
69.8936°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.9 earthquake in the Hindu Kush region, Afghanistan?
The magnitude 4.9 earthquake that struck in the Hindu Kush region, Afghanistan on March 18, 2023 at 00:00 UTC had a depth of 163.5 km. For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 36.5189°, 69.8936°, which is in the Hindu Kush region, Afghanistan. View all earthquakes in Afghanistan.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.9 earthquakes can continue for several days 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 4.9 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000jkzj). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2023, March 18, 2023). M4.9 Earthquake in the Hindu Kush region, Afghanistan — March 18, 2023. Retrieved May 20, 2023 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000jkzj/