M5.0 Earthquake near northern Qinghai, China — December 29, 2021
2021-12-29 21:30:22 UTC (2021-12-29) · approx. 3:30 AM UTC+6 local
On December 29, 2021 at 21:30 UTC, a magnitude 5.0 shallow crustal earthquake struck near northern Qinghai, China, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates 36.9982°, 94.6585°.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.0 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 477 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 1.7 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
Earthquake Details
94.6585°E
Technical Information
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Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.0 earthquake near northern Qinghai, China?
The magnitude 5.0 earthquake that struck near northern Qinghai, China on December 29, 2021 at 21:30 UTC had a depth of 10.0 km. For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 36.9982°, 94.6585°, which is near northern Qinghai, China.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.0 earthquakes can continue for days to weeks and gradually diminish over time.
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Location
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000g7t4). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2021, December 29, 2021). M5.0 Earthquake near northern Qinghai, China — December 29, 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000g7t4/