M4.9 Earthquake 246 km NNW of Nagqu, China — October 23, 2023
2023-10-23 06:10:38 UTC (2023-10-23) · approx. 12:10 PM UTC+6 local
On October 23, 2023 at 06:10 UTC, a magnitude 4.9 shallow crustal earthquake struck 246 km NNW of Nagqu, China, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates 33.5562°, 91.1286°. This earthquake was detected by 132 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 369, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.9 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 338 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 1.4 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.

Earthquake Details
91.1286°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.9 earthquake near Nagqu, China?
The magnitude 4.9 earthquake that struck 246 km NNW of Nagqu, China on October 23, 2023 at 06:10 UTC had a depth of 10.0 km. For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 33.5562°, 91.1286°, which is 246 km NNW of Nagqu, China.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.9 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.
Actions
Location
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000lhff). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2023, October 23, 2023). M4.9 Earthquake 246 km NNW of Nagqu, China — October 23, 2023. Retrieved January 4, 2024 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000lhff/