M5.6 Earthquake 13 km SW of Khowy, Iran — March 24, 2023
2023-03-24 03:16:56 UTC (2023-03-24) · approx. 6:16 AM UTC+3 local
Felt by 54 people across nearby locations. Maximum shaking intensity MMI 7.9 (severe).
On March 24, 2023 at 03:16 UTC, a magnitude 5.6 shallow crustal earthquake struck 13 km SW of Khowy, Iran, at a depth of 11.0 km and coordinates 38.4614°, 44.8505°. The earthquake was reported felt by 54 peopleacross nearby locations, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 7.9 (severe). The USGS PAGER system issued a red alert level for this event, indicating widespread severe impact likely. This earthquake was detected by 101 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 2033, making it one of the most significant global earthquakes in recent days. The nearest populated place is Khvoy (population 175,370).
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.6 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 4 kilotons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 4.4 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
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 54 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 | 11,333,131 |
| MMI 4 | light | 3,409,761 |
| MMI 5 | moderate | 164,552 |
| MMI 6 | strong | 130,194 |
| MMI 7 | very strong | 267,836 |
| MMI 8 | severe | 10,777 |
Earthquake Details
44.8505°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.6 earthquake near Khowy, Iran?
The magnitude 5.6 earthquake that struck 13 km SW of Khowy, Iran on March 24, 2023 at 03:16 UTC had a depth of 11.0 km. It was felt by 54 people with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 7.9 (severe). For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 38.4614°, 44.8505°, which is 13 km SW of Khowy, Iran. The nearest populated place is Khvoy (population 175,370). View all earthquakes in Iran.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.6 earthquakes can continue for days to weeks 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 5.6 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Actions
Location
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000jmbi). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2023, March 24, 2023). M5.6 Earthquake 13 km SW of Khowy, Iran — March 24, 2023. Retrieved October 9, 2024 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000jmbi/