M5.5 Earthquake near western Xizang — April 13, 2024
2024-04-13 05:44:39 UTC (2024-04-13) · approx. 10:44 AM UTC+5 local
Maximum shaking intensity MMI 6.7 (very strong).
On April 13, 2024 at 05:44 UTC, a magnitude 5.5 shallow crustal earthquake struck near western Xizang, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates 33.5479°, 81.8672°. The USGS PAGER system issued a green alert level for this event, indicating no significant casualties or damage expected. This earthquake was detected by 209 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 465, placing it among routine seismic activity. The nearest populated place is Jisegumen (population 0).
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.5 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 3 kilotons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 3.8 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 | 38,697 |
| MMI 4 | light | 3,178 |
| MMI 5 | moderate | 391 |
| MMI 6 | strong | 30 |
Earthquake Details
81.8672°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.5 earthquake near western Xizang?
The magnitude 5.5 earthquake that struck near western Xizang on April 13, 2024 at 05:44 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 33.5479°, 81.8672°, which is near western Xizang. The nearest populated place is Jisegumen (population 0).
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.5 earthquakes can continue for days to weeks and gradually diminish over time.
Actions
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000mbuv). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2024, April 13, 2024). M5.5 Earthquake near western Xizang — April 13, 2024. Retrieved June 17, 2024 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000mbuv/