Earthquakes in Afghanistan — August 2026

12 earthquakes were recorded in Afghanistan during August 2026, an average of 0.4 per day.

12 reached magnitude 4 or above and 1 reached magnitude 5 or above. The average focal depth was 116 km.

The month's largest event in Afghanistan was a magnitude 5.3 earthquake near Jurm, Afghanistan on 18 August 2026 at 19:51 UTC. A magnitude 5.3 earthquake radiates roughly 1,344 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

That is well above the Afghanistan monthly average of 9 events over the period we cover — an unusually active month, and up from the 9 recorded the previous month.

33% of events here are shallow (under 70 km), 67% intermediate (70–300 km) and 0% deep-focus (over 300 km). A substantial share of intermediate-depth events points to a subducting slab beneath the region rather than purely crustal faulting.

By band, the catalogue holds 11 in the magnitude 4 range, 1 in the magnitude 5 range.

Activity peaked on 29 August, when 2 events were recorded.

The month's largest events were M5.3 near Jurm, Afghanistan on 18 August at 196 km; M4.9 near Jalālābād, Afghanistan on 25 August at 10 km; M4.5 near Ashkāsham, Afghanistan on 26 August at 94 km.

That is 35% above the 9 events Afghanistan averages per month across the 23 months on record.