February 15, 2013 Earthquake: Chelyabinsk (Meteor Explosion), Russia
A magnitude 4.2 earthquake struck Chelyabinsk (Meteor Explosion), Russia on February 15, 2013 at 03:20:26 UTC, 0 km below the surface.
Map
Where it struck, with the other significant earthquakes within 200 km. Circles are sized and colored by magnitude; select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Date
- February 15, 2013
- Time
- 03:20:26 UTC
- Place
- Chelyabinsk (Meteor Explosion), Russia
- Magnitude
- 4.2 (mb)
- Focal depth
- 0 km (0 mi)
- Intensity
- 6 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 55.150° N, 61.410° E
- Country
- Russia
The toll
- Injuries
- 1,000
- Damage
- Severe (about $5 to $25 million)
- Houses damaged
- 4,000
Where the literature gives no number, NCEI records a description on a scale of 1 to 4, printed here in its words. Damage is in millions of US dollars of the year of the event, not adjusted for inflation.
What the record says
NCEI’s account, from the sources it cites.
2013, February 15, 03:20:26.0 UTC. 55.150 N, 61.410 E, 4.2 mbLg. Ural Mountains, Russia . Chelyabinsk, Russia meteor explosion (bolide) which occurred at approximately 03:20:26 UTC or 9:20:26 AM local time. At least 1,000 people were injured and over 4,000 buildings damaged when windows were blown out by the shock waves. Location and times of the explosion are approximate, and the station arrival times are for the ground-coupled surface wave. The magnitude represents only the energy in those surface waves, and therefore greatly underestimates the actual energy released by the atmospheric event. It is estimated that the meteor was 15-17 meters in diameter and weighed between 7,000 and 10,000 tons. The energy released in the explosion is estimated to be equivalent to 300-500 kilotons of TNT. This is believed to be the largest bolide event since the Tunguska, Siberia blast in 1908. For more information on the meteor visit the NASA webpage: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/. (reference #1053)
Chelyabinsk, Celjabinsk, Russia - CDI: 6 (reference #13456)
More
Significant earthquakes of 2013The 2000sEvery quake the USGS located in 2013Recent earthquakes near hereThis day in weather history
Sources
Significant earthquakes from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, Global Historical Hazard Database, cited as NCEI/WDS, doi:10.7289/V5PN93H7. Public domain. Read 2026-09-24. NCEI earthquake 9999.