M4.6 Earthquake near Southern Qinghai, China — May 21, 2021
2021-05-21 21:59:36 UTC (2021-05-21) · approx. 4:59 AM UTC+7 local
On May 21, 2021 at 21:59 UTC, a magnitude 4.6 shallow crustal earthquake struck near Southern Qinghai, China, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates 34.5901°, 98.3686°.
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
98.3686°E
Technical Information
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Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.6 earthquake near Southern Qinghai, China?
The magnitude 4.6 earthquake that struck near Southern Qinghai, China on May 21, 2021 at 21:59 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 34.5901°, 98.3686°, which is near Southern Qinghai, 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: us7000e576). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2021, May 21, 2021). M4.6 Earthquake near Southern Qinghai, China — May 21, 2021. Retrieved July 31, 2021 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000e576/