M5.3 Earthquake 34 km SE of Jurm, Afghanistan — May 28, 2023
2023-05-28 05:49:56 UTC (2023-05-28) · approx. 10:49 AM UTC+5 local
Felt by 18 people across nearby locations.
On May 28, 2023 at 05:49 UTC, a magnitude 5.3 intermediate depth earthquake struck 34 km SE of Jurm, Afghanistan, at a depth of 230.4 km and coordinates 36.6064°, 71.0508°. This earthquake was detected by 130 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 442, placing it among routine seismic activity.
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 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 18 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
71.0508°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.3 earthquake near Jurm, Afghanistan?
The magnitude 5.3 earthquake that struck 34 km SE of Jurm, Afghanistan on May 28, 2023 at 05:49 UTC had a depth of 230.4 km. For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 36.6064°, 71.0508°, which is 34 km SE of Jurm, Afghanistan. View all earthquakes in Afghanistan.
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 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 5.3 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000k4kr). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2023, May 28, 2023). M5.3 Earthquake 34 km SE of Jurm, Afghanistan — May 28, 2023. Retrieved August 5, 2023 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000k4kr/