Afghanistan earthquakes

M5.9 earthquake 40 km SSW of Ashk?sham, Afghanistan

A magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck 40 km SSW of Ashk?sham, Afghanistan on Mon, Feb 23, 1981, 2:02 PM GMT+6 (08:02 UTC), 96 km (60 mi) below the surface.

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Map

Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.

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The earthquake

Magnitude: 5.9 (mw), moderate
Local time: Mon, Feb 23, 1981, 2:02 PM GMT+6
UTC: 1981-02-23 08:02:16 UTC
Depth: 95.9 km (59.6 mi), intermediate-depth
Epicenter: 36.338° N, 71.393° E
Region: Afghanistan
Strongest shaking: IV, light shaking
Tsunami flag: No
Status: Reviewed by a seismologist

Shaking

The USGS ShakeMap: shaking estimated from seismic stations and the quake’s size, on the Modified Mercalli intensity scale.

Strongest estimated: IV, light shaking
Peak ground acceleration: 3.5% of gravity
Peak ground velocity: 0.6 cm/s
Map: Automatic

USGS ShakeMap: estimated shaking intensity around the epicenter — Estimated shaking intensity. Map: USGS ShakeMap.

Did you feel it?

No one has reported feeling this quake to the USGS.

How well it is located

Reviewed by a seismologist.

Magnitude uncertainty: ±0.52
Depth from: From location

Nearest places

Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 2.5 and up: 10 in the 60 days after this one and 2 in the 30 days before it.

After

Before

Earthquakes today Afghanistan earthquakes Live radar here

Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event iscgem631694. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 10:33 PM UTC.