M5.7 earthquake central Afghanistan
A magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck in central Afghanistan on Mon, Jan 13, 1986, 12:44 AM GMT+4:30 (20:14 UTC), 25 km (15 mi) below the surface.
Map
Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Magnitude
- 5.7 (Mw, moment), moderate
- Magnitude from
- USGS National Earthquake Information Center
- Local time
- UTC
- 1986-01-12 20:14:52 UTC
- Depth
- 24.6 km (15.3 mi), shallow
- Epicenter
- 34.151° N, 69.544° E
- Region
- Afghanistan
- Strongest shaking
- VI, strong shaking
- Tsunami flag
- No
- Status
- Reviewed by a seismologist
Magnitude estimates
Different scales measure different things and differ by a few tenths. The USGS marks one as preferred, and it is the one this page uses.
| Mag. | Scale | Computed by | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5.7 | Mw, moment | USGS National Earthquake Information Center | Preferred · Reviewed |
| 5.63 | Mw, moment | ISC-GEM global catalog | Final · ±0.1 |
| 5.6 | Mwc, centroid moment | Global CMT project | Preliminary |
What happened
The USGS’s account of the effects of this earthquake.
Felt strongly in the Kabul area. Felt at Peshawar, Pakistan. CENTROID, MOMENT TENSOR (HRV) Data Used: GDSN L.P.B.: 15S, 30C Centroid Location: Origin Time 20:14:56.2 0.3 Lat 34.04N 0.04 Lon 69.41E 0.04 Dep 15.0 BDY Half-duration 2.2 Moment Tensor; Scale 10**24 D-CM Mrr=-1.02 0.07 Mtt=-1.34 0.11 Mff=2.36 0.09 Mrt=2.00 0.22 Mrf=-1.67 0.30 Mtf=-1.11 0.09 Principal Axes: (T) Val=3.72 Plg=26 Azm=67 (N) Val=-0.52 Plg=34 Azm=317 (P) Val=-3.21 Plg=45 Azm=185 Best Double Couple:Mo=3.5*10**24 NP1:Strike=205 Dip=36 Slip=-18 NP2:Strike=310 Dip=79 Slip=-125
From the USGS event page for usp0002q06. U.S. Geological Survey text and figures are in the public domain.
Shaking
The USGS ShakeMap: shaking estimated from seismic stations and the quake’s size, on the Modified Mercalli intensity scale.
- Strongest estimated
- VI, strong shaking
- Peak ground acceleration
- 18.5% of gravity
- Peak ground velocity
- 2.4 cm/s
- Map
- Automatic
Did you feel it?
No one has reported feeling this quake to the USGS.
How well it is located
Reviewed by a seismologist.
- Depth from
- FROM_LOCATION
Nearest places
Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.
Nearby
Within 100 km, magnitude 2.7 and up: 0 in the 60 days after this one and 0 in the 30 days before it.
None recorded.
Earthquakes todayAfghanistan earthquakesLive radar here
Sources
From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event usp0002q06 (also filed as gcmtb011286c, gcmt19860112201453, atlas19860112201452, iscgem505600). Read Fri, Oct 2, 2026, 9:18 PM UTC.