M4.8 Earthquake 23 km SSW of Balkh, Afghanistan — February 18, 2024
2024-02-18 11:20:31 UTC (2024-02-18) · approx. 3:20 PM UTC+4 local
Felt by 1 person across nearby locations.
On February 18, 2024 at 11:20 UTC, a magnitude 4.8 shallow crustal earthquake struck 23 km SSW of Balkh, Afghanistan, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates 36.5525°, 66.8320°. This earthquake was detected by 118 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 355, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.8 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 239 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 1.2 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 1 citizen response 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
66.8320°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.8 earthquake near Balkh, Afghanistan?
The magnitude 4.8 earthquake that struck 23 km SSW of Balkh, Afghanistan on February 18, 2024 at 11:20 UTC had a depth of 10.0 km. For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 36.5525°, 66.8320°, which is 23 km SSW of Balkh, Afghanistan. View all earthquakes in Afghanistan.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.8 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 4.8 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000m003). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2024, February 18, 2024). M4.8 Earthquake 23 km SSW of Balkh, Afghanistan — February 18, 2024. Retrieved April 24, 2024 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000m003/