M4.6 Earthquake 99 km SW of Zhaotong, China — April 1, 2023
2023-04-01 21:54:52 UTC (2023-04-01) · approx. 4:54 AM UTC+7 local
On April 1, 2023 at 21:54 UTC, a magnitude 4.6 shallow crustal earthquake struck 99 km SW of Zhaotong, China, at a depth of 14.5 km and coordinates 26.7722°, 102.9151°. This earthquake was detected by 61 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 326, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.6 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 120 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 899 m — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.

Earthquake Details
102.9151°E
Technical Information
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Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.6 earthquake near Zhaotong, China?
The magnitude 4.6 earthquake that struck 99 km SW of Zhaotong, China on April 1, 2023 at 21:54 UTC had a depth of 14.5 km. For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 26.7722°, 102.9151°, which is 99 km SW of Zhaotong, China.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.6 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.
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Location
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000k1eq). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2023, April 1, 2023). M4.6 Earthquake 99 km SW of Zhaotong, China — April 1, 2023. Retrieved June 3, 2023 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000k1eq/