M6.5 Earthquake 40 km SSE of Jurm, Afghanistan — March 21, 2023
2023-03-21 16:47:23 UTC (2023-03-21) · approx. 9:47 PM UTC+5 local
Felt by 1,084 people across a wide area. Maximum shaking intensity MMI 4.7 (moderate).
On March 21, 2023 at 16:47 UTC, a magnitude 6.5 intermediate depth earthquake struck 40 km SSE of Jurm, Afghanistan, at a depth of 192.0 km and coordinates 36.5230°, 70.9430°. The earthquake was reported felt by 1,084 peopleacross a wide area, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 4.7 (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 164 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 1350, making it one of the most significant global earthquakes in recent days. The nearest populated place is Qurghonteppa (population 65,000).
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 6.5 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 85 kilotons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 18 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 4.7 (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 1,084 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 | 5 |
| MMI 4 | light | 13,348,615 |
| MMI 5 | moderate | 42,110 |
Earthquake Details
70.9430°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 6.5 earthquake near Jurm, Afghanistan?
The magnitude 6.5 earthquake that struck 40 km SSE of Jurm, Afghanistan on March 21, 2023 at 16:47 UTC had a depth of 192.0 km. It was felt by 1,084 people with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 4.7 (moderate). For context, this was a strong earthquake capable of causing significant damage.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 36.5230°, 70.9430°, which is 40 km SSE of Jurm, Afghanistan. The nearest populated place is Qurghonteppa (population 65,000). View all earthquakes in Afghanistan.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 6.5 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 6.5 event is within one magnitude unit of that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000jln7). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2023, March 21, 2023). M6.5 Earthquake 40 km SSE of Jurm, Afghanistan — March 21, 2023. Retrieved October 22, 2023 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000jln7/