M4.6 Earthquake 38 km WNW of Linxia Chengguanzhen, China — December 18, 2023
2023-12-18 16:36:18 UTC (2023-12-18) · approx. 11:36 PM UTC+7 local
On December 18, 2023 at 16:36 UTC, a magnitude 4.6 shallow crustal earthquake struck 38 km WNW of Linxia Chengguanzhen, China, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates 35.7452°, 102.8142°. This earthquake was detected by 113 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 326, placing it among routine seismic activity.
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
102.8142°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.6 earthquake near Linxia Chengguanzhen, China?
The magnitude 4.6 earthquake that struck 38 km WNW of Linxia Chengguanzhen, China on December 18, 2023 at 16:36 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 35.7452°, 102.8142°, which is 38 km WNW of Linxia Chengguanzhen, 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.
Actions
Location
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000ljww). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2023, December 18, 2023). M4.6 Earthquake 38 km WNW of Linxia Chengguanzhen, China — December 18, 2023. Retrieved February 27, 2024 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000ljww/