Shallow M5.4 Earthquake struck on Saturday Afternoon 162km from Osh in Kyrgyzstan.

Written by Earthquakelist.org on November 23rd, 2024.

In the afternoon of Saturday November 23rd, 2024, a shallow and significant M5.4 earthquake hit under land 162 kilometer from Osh in Kyrgyzstan. Roughly 15 million people may have felt this earthquake. Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Afghanistan are also near its epicenter.

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Earthquake Summary

The earthquake struck on land in Kyrgyzstan, 162 kilometer (101 mi) south-southwest of Osh. 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 23, 2024 14:33 (Bishkek Time) - Nov 23, 2024 08:33 Universal Time.
Location:	190 km south of Namangan, Uzbekistan. Coordinates 39°17'44"N 71°47'27"E.
Map:	Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps.
Magnitude:	MAG 5.4 Detected by 296 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.034 .
Depth:	10 km (6 mi) A very shallow depth.
Max. Intensity:	VI Strong On the Modified Mercalli Scale.
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.

Minimal impact predicted

Based on scientific estimates by the US Geographic Survey (USGS), the risk of high fatalities for this earthquake is classified at level GREEN (low). They expect an 65% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 fatalities, and a 96% chance that the number of fatalities falls no higher than 10.

The USGS classifies the economic impact of this earthquake at level GREEN (low). They expect an 65% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 million US Dollars in economic damage and impact, and a 96% chance that the economic impact of this earthquake falls no higher than 10 million USD.

Roughly 15 million people exposed to shaking

An estimated 15 million have been exposed to shaking (An MMI or Modified Mercalli Intensity level II or higher) as a result of this earthquake according scientific estimates published by the USGS.

An estimated 300 people were exposed to level V. At this level, moderate shaking and very light damage can be expected. Intensity level III was experienced by the majority of people (around 13 million). In their region, weak shaking and probably no damage can be expected.

People in 5 countries have been exposed to shaking. In Tajikistan , around 2.8 million people, with impact levels up to V (moderate shaking, very light damage). Roughly 2.7 million people were exposed to shaking in Kyrgyzstan . In Uzbekistan , around 9 million people. A smaller number of people were exposed in the following countries: Afghanistan and China.

Nearby towns and cities

4 countries can be found within 300km of the epicenter of this earthquake: Kyrgyzstan , Uzbekistan , Tajikistan and Afghanistan .

The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Iradan in Batken, Kyrgyzstan. Iradan is located 111 kilometer (69 mi) south-southwest of the epicenter. The intensity of shaking and damage in Iradan is estimated to be around level III on the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale (weak shaking, probably no damage).

Major cities near this earthquake: Dushanbe is located 274 km to the west-southwest (intensity unknown, possibly low). Namangan is located 190 km to the north and experienced an intensity of III (weak shaking, probably no damage). Andijon is located 172 km to the north-northeast and experienced an intensity of III (weak shaking, probably no damage).

A complete list of nearby places is included below. Estimated intensity data (MMI) sourced from a shake-map published by the US Geographic Survey is shown where available (cities without data probably experienced little impact).

Overview of nearby places

Earthquake Intensity Map

The graph below overlays a map of the region around the epicenter with earthquake intensity data provided by the US Geographic Survey. The highest intensity level detected for this earthquake is VI.

I Not felt

II Weak

III Weak

IV Light

V Moderate

VI Strong

VII Very Strong

VIII Severe

IX Violent

X Extreme

Shaking reported by 1 person

People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 1 person has reported shaking in one place in Tajikistan.We keep updating this article as more ground reports become available. You may report that you felt this earthquake here.

Places with most reports:

• Karakendzha, Karotegin, Tajikistan: 1 person.

Aftershocks detected

Before this earthquake struck, 1 smaller foreshock occurred. Nearby this earthquake a foreshock struck 1 day earlier. It measured a magnitude of 4

Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks

More earthquakes coming?

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.

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 March 22nd, 2023, when a 5.8 magnitude earthquake hit 163 km (102 mi) further west. An even stronger magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck on December 7th, 2015.

In total, 21 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.4 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 6 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

Sources

Last updated 23/11/24 21:28 (). As more information on this earthquake becomes available this article will be updated. This article is automatically composed based on data originating from multiple sources.

1. US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake usd00125in
2. European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20241123_0000070
3. Geonames.org: World Cities Database
4. Google Maps: Static API
5. Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database

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