A shallow M4.3 earthquake struck under land 14 kilometer from Āzādshahr in Iran in the late afternoon of Saturday November 4th, 2023. Another nearby country is Turkmenistan.
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Earthquake Summary
The earthquake struck on land in Iran, 14 kilometer (9 mi) southwest of Āzādshahr in Golestan. 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: | Nov 4, 2023 17:37 (Tehran Time) - Nov 4, 2023 14:07 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 14 km SW of Āzādshahr, Golestan, Iran. Coordinates 36°59'19"N 55°4'10"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 4.3 Detected by 12 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.153 . |
| 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 and Turkmenistan are both located within 300km distance of the epicenter of the earthquake.
Located 14 kilometer (9 mi) southwest of the epicenter of this earthquake, Āzādshahr (Golestan, Iran) is the nearest significant population center.
Multiple major population centers exist within 300km of the earthquake that struck today. Gonbad-e Kāvūs is located 30 km to the north-northeast. Gorgān is located 58 km to the west-southwest. Shahrud is located 64 km to the south.
An overview of nearby towns and cities is available in the overview below.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 14 km (9 mi) NE from epicenter |
Āzādshahr Golestan, Iran. |
| 30 km (19 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Gonbad-e Kāvūs Golestan, Iran. |
| 57 km (35 mi) NE from epicenter |
Kalāleh Golestan, Iran. |
| 58 km (36 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Gorgān Golestan, Iran. |
| 64 km (40 mi) S from epicenter |
Shahrud Semnan, Iran. |
| 112 km (70 mi) SW from epicenter |
Dāmghān Semnan, Iran. |
| 139 km (86 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Behshahr Māzandarān, Iran. |
| 162 km (101 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Nekā Māzandarān, Iran. |
| 185 km (115 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Sari Māzandarān, Iran. |
| 196 km (122 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Jūybār Māzandarān, Iran. |
| 207 km (129 mi) ENE from epicenter |
Bojnūrd North Khorasan, Iran. |
| 209 km (130 mi) SW from epicenter |
Mahdishahr Semnan, Iran. |
| 217 km (135 mi) SW from epicenter |
Semnan Semnan, Iran. |
| 217 km (135 mi) E from epicenter |
Esfarāyen North Khorasan, Iran. |
| 218 km (135 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Bābol Māzandarān, Iran. |
| 218 km (135 mi) W from epicenter |
Bābolsar Māzandarān, Iran. |
| 229 km (142 mi) W from epicenter |
Fereydūn Kenār Māzandarān, Iran. |
| 249 km (155 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Āmol Māzandarān, Iran. |
| 249 km (155 mi) ESE from epicenter |
Sabzevar Razavi Khorasan, Iran. |
| 250 km (155 mi) N from epicenter |
Gumdag Balkan, Turkmenistan. |
| 254 km (158 mi) N from epicenter |
Bereket Balkan, Turkmenistan. |
| 257 km (160 mi) E from epicenter |
Shīrvān North Khorasan, Iran. |
| 263 km (163 mi) NE from epicenter |
Baharly Ahal, Turkmenistan. |
| 287 km (178 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Balkanabat Balkan, Turkmenistan. |
Aftershocks detected
Since this main shock, 1 smaller aftershock was detected. Just 10 hrs after this main shock, an earthquake measuring MAG-3.2 was detected 11 km (7 mi) south of this earthquake.
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main Shock This Earthquake |
M 4.3 |
Nov 4, 2023 17:37 (Tehran Time) | - |
| Aftershock | M 3.2 |
10 hrs later Nov 5, 2023 03:42 (Tehran Time) | 11 km (7 mi) S 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.
The chance that a significant earthquake like this one is followed by an even larger earthquake is not so large. On average, scientists estimate a 94% chance that a major earthquake will not be followed by an even larger one. It is still adviced to be aware of this risk
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 September 29th, 2023, when a 4.4 magnitude earthquake hit 167 km (104 mi) further east-northeast. An even stronger magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck on May 13th, 2017.
In total, 85 earthquakes with a magnitude of 4.3 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 month.
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 4.3. 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 08/12/23 04:48 (). 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 us7000l8ve
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20231104_0000134
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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