M5.3 Earthquake 216 km WSW of Laojunmiao, China — August 25, 2021
2021-08-25 23:38:21 UTC (2021-08-25) · approx. 5:38 AM UTC+6 local
Felt by 1 person across nearby locations. Maximum shaking intensity MMI 6.3 (very strong).
On August 25, 2021 at 23:38 UTC, a magnitude 5.3 shallow crustal earthquake struck 216 km WSW of Laojunmiao, China, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates 38.9098°, 95.5261°. The earthquake was reported felt by 1 personacross nearby locations, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 6.3 (very strong). The USGS PAGER system issued a green alert level for this event, indicating no significant casualties or damage expected. The nearest populated place is Yanchiwan (population 0).
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.3 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 1 kilotons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 2.7 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
Nearest Populated Places
ShakeMap — predicted shaking intensity
Modeled ground-motion intensity contoured on the Modified Mercalli scale (MMI). Computed by the USGS from the moment-tensor solution and regional ground-motion prediction equations.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey ShakeMap. View interactive ShakeMap on USGS
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 1 citizen response to the USGS Did You Feel It? system. Each colored zone represents the average MMI from reports in that area.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey Did You Feel It?. View on USGS · submit your own report
Population exposure (USGS PAGER)
Estimated population that experienced each level of shaking. Based on the USGS PAGER rapid impact assessment, which combines ShakeMap output with global population grids.
| Shaking intensity (MMI) | Description | Population exposed |
|---|---|---|
| MMI 3 | weak | 568,630 |
| MMI 4 | light | 8,786 |
| MMI 5 | moderate | 324 |
| MMI 6 | strong | 24 |
Earthquake Details
95.5261°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.3 earthquake near Laojunmiao, China?
The magnitude 5.3 earthquake that struck 216 km WSW of Laojunmiao, China on August 25, 2021 at 23:38 UTC had a depth of 10.0 km. It was felt by 1 person with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 6.3 (very strong). For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 38.9098°, 95.5261°, which is 216 km WSW of Laojunmiao, China. The nearest populated place is Yanchiwan (population 0).
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.3 earthquakes can continue for days to weeks and gradually diminish over time.
Actions
Location
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000f3xy). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2021, August 25, 2021). M5.3 Earthquake 216 km WSW of Laojunmiao, China — August 25, 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000f3xy/