A significant M5.1 aftershock struck under land 72 kilometer from Fayzabad in Afghanistan in the evening of Sunday August 6th, 2023. Tajikistan and Pakistan are also near its epicenter.
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Earthquake Summary
The earthquake struck on land in Afghanistan, 72 kilometer (45 mi) south-southeast of Fayzabad in Badakhshan. The center of this earthquake had an intermediate depth of 85 km.
| Date and Time: | Aug 6, 2023 18:23 (Dushanbe Time) - Aug 6, 2023 13:23 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 72 km SSE of Fayzabad, Badakhshan, Afghanistan. Coordinates 36°31'53"N 70°56'16"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.1 Detected by 245 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.037 . |
| Depth: | 85 km (53 mi) An intermediate 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
Tajikistan , Afghanistan and Pakistan are all located within 300km distance of the epicenter of the earthquake.
The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Ishqoshim in Gorno-Badakhshan, Tajikistan. Ishqoshim is located 64 kilometer (40 mi) west-southwest of the epicenter.
Multiple major population centers exist within 300km of the earthquake that struck today. Kabul is located 274 km to the southwest. Peshawar is located 287 km to the south-southeast. Battagram is located 279 km to the south-east.
The table below provides an overview of all places in proximity of today's earthquake.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 64 km (40 mi) ENE from epicenter |
Ishqoshim Gorno-Badakhshan, Tajikistan. |
| 72 km (45 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Fayzabad Badakhshan, Afghanistan. |
| 119 km (74 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Rustāq Takhar, Afghanistan. |
| 120 km (75 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Khorugh Gorno-Badakhshan, Tajikistan. |
| 127 km (79 mi) W from epicenter |
Taloqan Takhar, Afghanistan. |
| 144 km (89 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Ārt Khwājah Takhar, Afghanistan. |
| 163 km (101 mi) NW from epicenter |
Chubek Khatlon, Tajikistan. |
| 164 km (102 mi) W from epicenter |
Khanabad Kunduz, Afghanistan. |
| 166 km (103 mi) SE from epicenter |
Thal Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. |
| 170 km (106 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Nahrīn Baghlan, Afghanistan. |
| 170 km (106 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Upper Dir Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. |
| 171 km (106 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Āsmār Kunar, Afghanistan. |
| 173 km (107 mi) NW from epicenter |
Farkhor Khatlon, Tajikistan. |
| 182 km (113 mi) NW from epicenter |
Hulbuk Khatlon, Tajikistan. |
| 185 km (115 mi) NW from epicenter |
Kŭlob Khatlon, Tajikistan. |
| 185 km (115 mi) S from epicenter |
Asadābād Kunar, Afghanistan. |
| 186 km (116 mi) SW from epicenter |
Bāzārak Panjshir, Afghanistan. |
| 187 km (116 mi) W from epicenter |
Kunduz Kunduz, Afghanistan. |
| 205 km (127 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Baghlān Baghlan, Afghanistan. |
| 207 km (129 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Qarāwul Kunduz, Afghanistan. |
| 210 km (130 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Pul-e Khumrī Baghlan, Afghanistan. |
| 217 km (135 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Mehtar Lām Laghman, Afghanistan. |
| 219 km (136 mi) SW from epicenter |
Jabal os Saraj Parwan, Afghanistan. |
| 224 km (139 mi) NW from epicenter |
Danghara Khatlon, Tajikistan. |
| 228 km (142 mi) NW from epicenter |
Vakhsh Khatlon, Tajikistan. |
| 232 km (144 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Bat Khela Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. |
| 232 km (144 mi) SW from epicenter |
Charikar Parwan, Afghanistan. |
| 233 km (145 mi) SE from epicenter |
Mingora Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. |
| 234 km (145 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Kolkhozobod Khatlon, Tajikistan. |
| 238 km (148 mi) S from epicenter |
Jalālābād Nangarhar, Afghanistan. |
| 240 km (149 mi) NW from epicenter |
Bokhtar Khatlon, Tajikistan. |
| 241 km (150 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Moskovskiy Khatlon, Tajikistan. |
| 251 km (156 mi) NW from epicenter |
Norak Khatlon, Tajikistan. |
| 256 km (159 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Tangi Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. |
| 263 km (163 mi) W from epicenter |
Aībak Samangan, Afghanistan. |
| 263 km (163 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Shabqadar Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. |
| 271 km (168 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Utmanzai Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. |
| 274 km (170 mi) SW from epicenter |
Kabul Kabul, Afghanistan. |
| 275 km (171 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Charsadda Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. |
| 278 km (173 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Mardan Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. |
| 279 km (173 mi) SE from epicenter |
Battagram Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. |
| 281 km (175 mi) SW from epicenter |
Paghmān Kabul, Afghanistan. |
| 282 km (175 mi) NW from epicenter |
Vahdat Republican Subordination, Tajikistan. |
| 286 km (178 mi) NW from epicenter |
Boshkengash Dushanbe, Tajikistan. |
| 287 km (178 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Peshawar Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. |
| 290 km (180 mi) W from epicenter |
Khulm Balkh, Afghanistan. |
| 291 km (181 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Pabbi Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. |
| 291 km (181 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Risalpur Cantonment Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. |
| 293 km (182 mi) NW from epicenter |
Dushanbe Dushanbe, Tajikistan. |
| 295 km (183 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Aman Garh Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. |
| 298 km (185 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Nowshera Cantonment Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. |
Shaking reported by 2 people
People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 2 people have reported shaking in 2 places in Afghanistan.We keep updating this article as more ground reports become available. You may report that you felt this earthquake here.
Places with most reports:
- Faizabad, Badaẖšan, Afghanistan: 1 person.
- Jurm, Badaẖšan, Afghanistan: 1 person.
This is likely an aftershock
This earthquake is likely an aftershock of the MAG-5.8 earthquake that struck 21 hrs earlier. That main earthquake hit 21 km (13 mi) west-southwest of the epicenter of this MAG-5.1 aftershock.
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreshock | M 4.1 |
19 hrs earlier Aug 5, 2023 01:58AM (Dushanbe Time) | 43 km (27 mi) NE from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 4.7 |
11 hrs earlier Aug 5, 2023 09:53AM (Dushanbe Time) | 78 km (48 mi) W from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 4.7 |
11 hrs earlier Aug 5, 2023 09:54AM (Dushanbe Time) | 76 km (47 mi) W from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 4.1 |
6 hrs earlier Aug 5, 2023 03:07PM (Dushanbe Time) | 52 km (33 mi) SW from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 4.2 |
1 hr earlier Aug 5, 2023 07:47PM (Dushanbe Time) | 54 km (34 mi) E from Main Shock. |
| Main Shock | M 5.8 |
Aug 5, 2023 09:01PM (Dushanbe Time) | - |
| Aftershock | M 5.3 |
9 hrs later Aug 6, 2023 05:32AM (Dushanbe Time) | 5 km (3 mi) WSW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock This Earthquake |
M 5.1 |
21 hrs later Aug 6, 2023 06:23PM (Dushanbe Time) | 21 km (13 mi) ENE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.0 |
1 day later Aug 7, 2023 06:33AM (Dushanbe Time) | 55 km (34 mi) ENE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.2 |
2 days later Aug 7, 2023 08:47PM (Dushanbe Time) | 53 km (33 mi) E from Main Shock. |
More earthquakes coming?
Aftershocks are usually at least 1 order of magnitude less strong than main shocks. The more time passes, the smaller the chance and likely strength of any potential aftershocks.
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. In total, 64 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.1 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 2 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 5.1. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 85 km (53 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 05/10/23 07:17 (). This article contains currently available information about the earthquake and is automatically composed. We continue to update this article up to a few days after the earthquake occurred.
- US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us6000ky9w
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20230806_0000105
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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