M5.1 Earthquake 150 km SSW of Laojunmiao, China — April 15, 2022
2022-04-15 01:26:17 UTC (2022-04-15) · approx. 7:26 AM UTC+6 local
Maximum shaking intensity MMI 6.2 (very strong).
On April 15, 2022 at 01:26 UTC, a magnitude 5.1 shallow crustal earthquake struck 150 km SSW of Laojunmiao, China, at a depth of 15.0 km and coordinates 38.5167°, 97.3084°. The USGS PAGER system issued a green alert level for this event, indicating no significant casualties or damage expected. The nearest populated place is Gahe (population 0).
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.1 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 674 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 2.0 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
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 | 1,246,539 |
| MMI 4 | light | 4,563 |
| MMI 5 | moderate | 296 |
| MMI 6 | strong | 14 |
Earthquake Details
97.3084°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.1 earthquake near Laojunmiao, China?
The magnitude 5.1 earthquake that struck 150 km SSW of Laojunmiao, China on April 15, 2022 at 01:26 UTC had a depth of 15.0 km. For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 38.5167°, 97.3084°, which is 150 km SSW of Laojunmiao, China. The nearest populated place is Gahe (population 0).
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.1 earthquakes can continue for days to weeks and gradually diminish over time.
Actions
Location
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000h2dx). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2022, April 15, 2022). M5.1 Earthquake 150 km SSW of Laojunmiao, China — April 15, 2022. Retrieved June 20, 2022 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000h2dx/