M4.5 Earthquake 5 km E of Qarāwul, Afghanistan — November 17, 2024
2024-11-17 20:45:07 UTC (2024-11-17) · approx. 1:45 AM UTC+5 local
Felt by 1 person across nearby locations.
On November 17, 2024 at 20:45 UTC, a magnitude 4.5 shallow crustal earthquake struck 5 km E of Qarāwul, Afghanistan, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates 37.2211°, 68.8368°. This earthquake was detected by 71 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 312, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.5 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 85 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 767 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 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
68.8368°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.5 earthquake near Qarāwul, Afghanistan?
The magnitude 4.5 earthquake that struck 5 km E of Qarāwul, Afghanistan on November 17, 2024 at 20:45 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 37.2211°, 68.8368°, which is 5 km E of Qarāwul, Afghanistan. View all earthquakes in Afghanistan.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.5 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 4.5 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000nsbe). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2024, November 17, 2024). M4.5 Earthquake 5 km E of Qarāwul, Afghanistan — November 17, 2024. Retrieved January 26, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000nsbe/