M4.6 Earthquake 23 km SSW of Tagāb, Afghanistan — August 31, 2023
2023-08-31 16:53:12 UTC (2023-08-31) · approx. 9:53 PM UTC+5 local
Felt by 3 people across nearby locations.
On August 31, 2023 at 16:53 UTC, a magnitude 4.6 shallow crustal earthquake struck 23 km SSW of Tagāb, Afghanistan, at a depth of 14.9 km and coordinates 34.6691°, 69.5179°. This earthquake was detected by 114 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 327, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.6 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 120 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 899 m — 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 3 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
69.5179°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.6 earthquake near Tagāb, Afghanistan?
The magnitude 4.6 earthquake that struck 23 km SSW of Tagāb, Afghanistan on August 31, 2023 at 16:53 UTC had a depth of 14.9 km. For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 34.6691°, 69.5179°, which is 23 km SSW of Tagāb, Afghanistan. View all earthquakes in Afghanistan.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.6 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 4.6 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000ksg5). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2023, August 31, 2023). M4.6 Earthquake 23 km SSW of Tagāb, Afghanistan — August 31, 2023. Retrieved November 4, 2023 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000ksg5/