Under land 91 kilometer from Mary in Turkmenistan, a shallow MAG-4.5 earthquake occurred around noon of Saturday June 3rd, 2023. Other countries near the epicenter include Iran and Afghanistan.
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Earthquake Summary
The earthquake struck on land in Turkmenistan, 91 kilometer (57 mi) south-southwest of Mary. The center of this earthquake had a very shallow depth of 10 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.
| Date and Time: | Jun 3, 2023 12:18 (Tehran Time) - Jun 3, 2023 07:48 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 49 km NE of Sarakhs, Razavi Khorasan, Iran. Coordinates 36°47'41"N 61°36'59"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 4.5 Detected by 56 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.072 . |
| Depth: | 10 km (6 mi) A very shallow depth. |
| Tsunami Risk: | Tsunami very unlikely While this was a shallow earthquake, it appears to have occurred under land with a magnitude not strong enough to cause tsunami's. Always stay cautious - More info here. |
Nearby towns and cities
Iran , Turkmenistan and Afghanistan are all located within 300km distance of the epicenter of the earthquake.
The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Sarakhs in Razavi Khorasan, Iran. Sarakhs is located 49 kilometer (30 mi) north-east of the epicenter.
Multiple large cities are in proximity of today's earthquake. Mashhad is located 188 km to the west-southwest. Herāt is located 277 km to the south. Mary is located 91 km to the north-northeast.
The table below provides an overview of all places in proximity of today's earthquake.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 49 km (30 mi) SW from epicenter |
Sarakhs Razavi Khorasan, Iran. |
| 87 km (54 mi) NE from epicenter |
Yolöten Mary, Turkmenistan. |
| 91 km (57 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Mary Mary, Turkmenistan. |
| 104 km (65 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Bayramaly Mary, Turkmenistan. |
| 118 km (73 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Tejen Ahal, Turkmenistan. |
| 188 km (117 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Mashhad Razavi Khorasan, Iran. |
| 188 km (117 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Kaka Ahal, Turkmenistan. |
| 194 km (121 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Torbat-e Jām Razavi Khorasan, Iran. |
| 223 km (139 mi) W from epicenter |
Chenārān Razavi Khorasan, Iran. |
| 227 km (141 mi) ESE from epicenter |
Ghormach Badghis, Afghanistan. |
| 241 km (150 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Tāybād Razavi Khorasan, Iran. |
| 242 km (150 mi) S from epicenter |
Kafir Qala Herat, Afghanistan. |
| 260 km (162 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Neyshābūr Razavi Khorasan, Iran. |
| 272 km (169 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Karukh Herat, Afghanistan. |
| 274 km (170 mi) SW from epicenter |
Torbat-e Ḩeydarīyeh Razavi Khorasan, Iran. |
| 277 km (172 mi) S from epicenter |
Herāt Herat, Afghanistan. |
| 278 km (173 mi) W from epicenter |
Qūchān Razavi Khorasan, Iran. |
| 297 km (185 mi) NE from epicenter |
Saýat Lebap, Turkmenistan. |
| 300 km (186 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Änew Ahal, Turkmenistan. |
| 300 km (186 mi) ESE from epicenter |
Maymana Faryab, Afghanistan. |
Risk of aftershocks?
We have not yet detected any foreshocks or aftershocks (MAG-2.5 or higher) within 100km (62 mi) of this earthquake.
Earthquakes can create aftershocks. These are generally at least 1 magnitude lower than any main shock, and as time passes the chance and strength of aftershocks decreases.
In only six percent of cases, significant earthquakes are followed by a larger main shock, making the current earthquake a foreshock. While the chance of this happening is not so large, it is adviced to maintain cautiousness in the hours and days following a major earthquake.
Read: How to Stay Safe during an Earthquake (cdc.gov).Earthquakes like this happen often in the region
Earthquakes of this strength are very common in the region. This is the strongest earthquake to hit since April 27th, 2023, when a 4.9 magnitude earthquake hit 223 km (138 mi) further west-southwest. An even stronger magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck on April 5th, 2017.
In total, 14 earthquakes with a magnitude of 4.5 or higher have been registered within 300km (186 mi) of this epicenter in the past 10 years. This comes down to an average of once every 9 months.
Tsunami very unlikely
While MAG-6.5+ earthquakes may cause tsunami's, it appears that the epicenter of this earthquake hit under land. In addition, the reported depth is deeper than 100km, making the risk of a tsunami even less likely. However always stay cautious and monitor advice from local authorities.
Tsunami Risk Factors
| Factor | Under Sea? | MAG-6.5 or stronger? | Shallow depth? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Explanation | Almost all tsunami's are caused by earthquakes with their epicenter under sea or very near the sea. However stay cautious in coastal areas as earthquakes on land may cause landslides into sea, potentially still causing a local tsunami. | Under MAG 6.5: Very unlikely to cause a tsunami. MAG 6.5 to 7.5: Destructive tsunami's do occur, but are uncommon. Likely to observe small sea level changes. MAG 7.6+: Earthquakes with these magnitudes might produce destructive tsunami's. |
Most destructive tsunami's are caused by shallow earthquakes with a depth between 0 and 100km under the surface of the earth. Deeper tsunami's are unlikely to displace to ocean floor. |
| This Earthquake | Not this earthquake. This earthquake appears to have struck on land far from any coast. |
Not this earthquake. This earthquake had a magnitude of 4.5. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 10 km (6 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 01/08/23 15:57 (). This article is automatically generated based on available data. We keep checking multiple sources for additional information. This article gets updated as new details on this earthquake become available.
- US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us7000k61n
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20230603_0000074
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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