M4.2 Earthquake near Барвоз, Тоҷикистон — 05 January 2025
A light earthquake of magnitude 4.2 was recorded near Барвоз, Тоҷикистон on , with an epicentre 44 km east-southeast of Khorugh, at a focal depth of 156.8 km. It was the strongest of the 1 earthquakes recorded in Тоҷикистон in the preceding 30 days.
Time (UTC): 2025-01-05 06:56:46
Time (your timezone): —
Magnitude: 4.2 (light)
Focal depth: 156.8 km (intermediate)
Epicentre: 37.3261, 72.0110
Location: 44 km ESE of Khorugh, Tajikistan
Country: Тоҷикистон
USGS link to NOAA tsunami information: Not linked
Review status: Reviewed
Source: USGS event page
How strong was this earthquake?
Light earthquakes are widely felt near the epicentre and can rattle windows, dishes and hanging objects. Damage is uncommon and usually limited to cracked plaster or fallen loose items.
A magnitude 4.2 earthquake radiates roughly 30 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.
The USGS assigns this earthquake a significance score of 271, which is below the USGS threshold of more than 600 for its significant-earthquake list. The ranking combines magnitude with available Did You Feel It responses and PAGER alert level; it is not a direct measurement of damage.
Where was the epicentre?
The epicentre was located at 37.3261, 72.0110 — 44 km east-southeast of Khorugh. The closest other recorded event was a magnitude 4.4 earthquake 9 km west-southwest of here on 26 July 2026.
Why the 157 km depth matters
At 157 km this was an intermediate-depth earthquake. Energy from events at this depth spreads out before it reaches the surface, which usually means weaker shaking near the epicentre than a shallow quake of the same magnitude, but shaking felt across a wider area.
This catalogue does not ingest eyewitness responses, so it cannot confirm where this earthquake was felt. Based on magnitude alone, an event this size is often felt across the surrounding area. Its intermediate depth normally reduces peak shaking near the epicentre compared with a shallow event of the same magnitude.
What does the tsunami information flag mean?
The USGS record does not carry a link to NOAA tsunami information. That field is not an all-clear and does not state whether a tsunami occurred. In this case, a damaging tsunami would be less likely because at M4.2 it falls below the magnitude 6.5 threshold that generally applies before a submarine earthquake displaces enough water to generate a damaging tsunami; its 157 km focal depth is too great to deform the sea floor significantly; it occurred inland rather than beneath the sea floor. For an active coastal alert, use tsunami.gov or your local warning authority.
How earthquakes generate tsunamis, and what the alert levels mean →
Aftershocks and local seismic history
2 further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event, the largest of them magnitude 4.4.
183 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 6.1 event near Jurm on 27 June 2026. This M4.2 event released about 708 times less energy than that event.
How long aftershock sequences last, and how large they get →
Where this event sits in the record
This earthquake is part of the January 2025 worldwide record, and of earthquakes in Тоҷикистон during January 2025. Browse the full monthly archive to compare periods.
Nearest recorded earthquakes to this epicentre
- M4.4 earthquake near Khorugh, Tajikistan — (9 km WSW)
- M4.3 earthquake near Khandūd, Afghanistan — (13 km NE)
- M4.3 earthquake near Khorugh, Tajikistan — (16 km WNW)
- M4.1 earthquake near Khorugh, Tajikistan — (34 km N)
- M4.2 earthquake near Khorugh, Tajikistan — (35 km NE)
- M4.5 earthquake near Ishqoshim, Tajikistan — (45 km SW)
- M4.0 earthquake near Ishqoshim, Tajikistan — (59 km SSW)
- M5.1 earthquake near Khorugh, Tajikistan — (62 km W)
- M4.8 earthquake near Khorugh, Tajikistan — (88 km NE)
- M4.5 earthquake near Ashkāsham, Afghanistan — (88 km SSW)
Other recent earthquakes in Тоҷикистон
Other magnitude 4 earthquakes worldwide
- M4.4 earthquake near El Arenal, Mexico —
- M4.3 earthquake near Puerto Madero, Mexico —
- M4.4 earthquake near Fiji region —
- M4.5 earthquake near Abepura, Indonesia —
- M4.1 earthquake near Charlotte Amalie, U.S. Virgin Islands —
- M4.0 earthquake near Charlotte Amalie, U.S. Virgin Islands —
- M4.2 earthquake near Banda Sea —
- M4.4 earthquake near Ollagüe, Chile —
Questions about this earthquake
How strong is a magnitude 4.2 earthquake?
Light earthquakes are widely felt near the epicentre and can rattle windows, dishes and hanging objects. Damage is uncommon and usually limited to cracked plaster or fallen loose items. A magnitude 4.2 earthquake radiates roughly 30 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.
How deep was the earthquake near Барвоз?
At 157 km this was an intermediate-depth earthquake. Energy from events at this depth spreads out before it reaches the surface, which usually means weaker shaking near the epicentre than a shallow quake of the same magnitude, but shaking felt across a wider area.
Was the M4.2 earthquake near Барвоз felt?
This catalogue does not ingest eyewitness responses, so it cannot confirm where this earthquake was felt. Based on magnitude alone, an event this size is often felt across the surrounding area. Its intermediate depth normally reduces peak shaking near the epicentre compared with a shallow event of the same magnitude.
What does the USGS tsunami field mean for this event?
The USGS record does not carry a link to NOAA tsunami information. That field is not an all-clear and does not state whether a tsunami occurred. In this case, a damaging tsunami would be less likely because at M4.2 it falls below the magnitude 6.5 threshold that generally applies before a submarine earthquake displaces enough water to generate a damaging tsunami; its 157 km focal depth is too great to deform the sea floor significantly; it occurred inland rather than beneath the sea floor. For an active coastal alert, use tsunami.gov or your local warning authority.
Have there been aftershocks?
2 further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event, the largest of them magnitude 4.4.
How often do earthquakes happen near Барвоз?
183 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 6.1 event near Jurm on 27 June 2026. This M4.2 event released about 708 times less energy than that event.