M5.1 Earthquake 30 km E of Qarnābād, Iran — July 19, 2025
2025-07-19 21:37:47 UTC (2025-07-19) · approx. 1:37 AM UTC+4 local
Felt by 10 people across nearby locations. Maximum shaking intensity MMI 6.5 (very strong).
On July 19, 2025 at 21:37 UTC, a magnitude 5.1 shallow crustal earthquake struck 30 km E of Qarnābād, Iran, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates 36.8210°, 54.9294°. The earthquake was reported felt by 10 peopleacross nearby locations, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 6.5 (very strong). The USGS PAGER system issued a green alert level for this event, indicating no significant casualties or damage expected. This earthquake was detected by 99 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 406, placing it among routine seismic activity. The nearest populated place is `Aliabad-e Katul (population 0).
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.1 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 674 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 2.0 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 10 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 | 2,416,530 |
| MMI 4 | light | 1,939,864 |
| MMI 5 | moderate | 246,824 |
| MMI 6 | strong | 105,930 |
Earthquake Details
54.9294°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.1 earthquake near Qarnābād, Iran?
The magnitude 5.1 earthquake that struck 30 km E of Qarnābād, Iran on July 19, 2025 at 21:37 UTC had a depth of 10.0 km. It was felt by 10 people with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 6.5 (very strong). For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 36.8210°, 54.9294°, which is 30 km E of Qarnābād, Iran. The nearest populated place is `Aliabad-e Katul (population 0). View all earthquakes in Iran.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.1 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 5.1 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Actions
Location
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000qdwb). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2025, July 19, 2025). M5.1 Earthquake 30 km E of Qarnābād, Iran — July 19, 2025. Retrieved October 3, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000qdwb/