Seismic Activity in China
Over the past 30 days, there have been 16 recorded earthquakes in this region. The largest recent earthquake was a magnitude 5.1 event near 273 km SSE of Dunhuang, China.
Earthquakes in China
0 earthquakes in the last 24 hours• Latest significant: M5.1
Earthquake Map
Recent Earthquakes (Last 30 Days)
Dataset at a glance — China
Over the past 30 days, China has recorded 16 earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or greater in our tracker. 5 reached magnitude 5.0 or higher. 11 landed between M4.0 and M4.9. By depth: 15 shallow (<70 km), 1 intermediate (70–300 km). 9 of the epicenters were offshore. 1 event produced at least one felt report, totalling 1 citizen submissions to the USGS Did You Feel It? system. Focal depths ranged from 10.0 km to 124.2 km. All 16 solutions have been reviewed by a USGS seismologist.
Each row in the table below includes a narrative summary of the event, ordered by time. Use the column headers to sort or filter by magnitude.
Showing 16 of 16
| Time ↓ | Mag ↕ | Location ↕ | Depth ↕ | Felt ↕ | MMI | Alert | Status | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
3 days ago 2026-09-30 11:21:31 UTC | 4.5mb | 271 km S of Dunhuang, China 37.768°, 95.295° | 10.0 km | - | - | - | ✓ Reviewed | USGS → |
On September 30, 2026 at 11:21 UTC, a magnitude 4.5 earthquake struck 271 km S of Dunhuang, China. The event was offshore. See the M4.5 event page for the full report, ShakeMap, and citizen-reported intensity data. | ||||||||
5 days ago 2026-09-27 18:30:09 UTC | 4.5mb | 78 km N of Daocheng, China 29.744°, 100.266° | 10.0 km | - | - | - | ✓ Reviewed | USGS → |
A magnitude 4.5 earthquake was recorded 78 km N of Daocheng, China on September 27, 2026 at 18:30 UTC. The event was offshore. See the M4.5 event page for the full report, ShakeMap, and citizen-reported intensity data. | ||||||||
5 days ago 2026-09-27 16:43:10 UTC | 5.0mb | 191 km NW of Oula Xiuma, China 35.386°, 99.554° | 10.0 km | - | - | - | ✓ Reviewed | USGS → |
A magnitude 5.0 earthquake was recorded 191 km NW of Oula Xiuma, China on September 27, 2026 at 16:43 UTC. The event was offshore. See the M5.0 event page for the full report, ShakeMap, and citizen-reported intensity data. | ||||||||
6 days ago 2026-09-26 18:31:42 UTC | 4.7mb | 5 km N of Bowangshan, China 28.360°, 105.055° | 10.0 km | - | - | - | ✓ Reviewed | USGS → |
The USGS recorded this magnitude 4.7 earthquake 5 km N of Bowangshan, China at 18:31 UTC on September 26, 2026. The event was offshore. See the M4.7 event page for the full report, ShakeMap, and citizen-reported intensity data. | ||||||||
2026-09-25 2026-09-25 23:57:33 UTC | 5.0mb | 15 km NNW of Xunchang, China 28.579°, 104.643° | 10.0 km | - | - | - | ✓ Reviewed | USGS → |
Seismographs logged a magnitude 5.0 earthquake 15 km NNW of Xunchang, China with origin time 23:57 UTC on September 25, 2026. See the M5.0 event page for the full report, ShakeMap, and citizen-reported intensity data. | ||||||||
2026-09-25 2026-09-25 21:01:27 UTC | 5.0mb | 13 km N of Xunchang, China 28.574°, 104.703° | 10.0 km | - | - | - | ✓ Reviewed | USGS → |
On September 25, 2026, China registered a magnitude 5.0 earthquake 13 km N of Xunchang, China at 21:01 UTC. The event was offshore. See the M5.0 event page for the full report, ShakeMap, and citizen-reported intensity data. | ||||||||
2026-09-19 2026-09-19 12:19:54 UTC | 4.5mb | 269 km NNW of Dêqên, China 32.020°, 89.221° | 10.0 km | - | - | - | ✓ Reviewed | USGS → |
Seismographs logged a magnitude 4.5 earthquake 269 km NNW of Dêqên, China with origin time 12:19 UTC on September 19, 2026. See the M4.5 event page for the full report, ShakeMap, and citizen-reported intensity data. | ||||||||
2026-09-18 2026-09-18 12:09:48 UTC | 4.6mb | 204 km N of Daocheng, China 30.853°, 99.922° | 10.0 km | - | - | - | ✓ Reviewed | USGS → |
Reports of a magnitude 4.6 earthquake 204 km N of Daocheng, China came in on September 18, 2026 at 12:09 UTC. The event was offshore. See the M4.6 event page for the full report, ShakeMap, and citizen-reported intensity data. | ||||||||
2026-09-16 2026-09-16 05:52:03 UTC | 5.0mb | 281 km SSE of Dunhuang, China 37.708°, 95.496° | 10.5 km | - | - | - | ✓ Reviewed | USGS → |
At 05:52 UTC on September 16, 2026, a magnitude 5.0 tremor occurred 281 km SSE of Dunhuang, China. See the M5.0 event page for the full report, ShakeMap, and citizen-reported intensity data. | ||||||||
2026-09-14 2026-09-14 09:07:29 UTC | 4.5mb | 71 km NE of Simao, China 23.296°, 101.406° | 10.0 km | - | - | - | ✓ Reviewed | USGS → |
On September 14, 2026, China registered a magnitude 4.5 earthquake 71 km NE of Simao, China at 09:07 UTC. The event was offshore. See the M4.5 event page for the full report, ShakeMap, and citizen-reported intensity data. | ||||||||
2026-09-11 2026-09-11 17:56:20 UTC | 4.1mb | 34 km WNW of Sarupathar, India 26.340°, 96.499° | 124.2 km | - | - | - | ✓ Reviewed | USGS → |
The USGS recorded this magnitude 4.1 earthquake 34 km WNW of Sarupathar, India at 17:56 UTC on September 11, 2026. This is the deepest earthquake in the current dataset — an intermediate depth event. See the M4.1 event page for the full report, ShakeMap, and citizen-reported intensity data. | ||||||||
2026-09-10 2026-09-10 21:53:51 UTC | 4.3mb | 38 km S of Weining, China 26.510°, 104.296° | 10.0 km | - | - | - | ✓ Reviewed | USGS → |
At 21:53 UTC on September 10, 2026, a magnitude 4.3 tremor occurred 38 km S of Weining, China. The event was offshore. See the M4.3 event page for the full report, ShakeMap, and citizen-reported intensity data. | ||||||||
2026-09-10 2026-09-10 16:53:33 UTC | 4.7mb | 70 km WSW of Zhaotong, China 27.145°, 103.030° | 10.0 km | 1 | - | - | ✓ Reviewed | USGS → |
This magnitude 4.7 event was detected 70 km WSW of Zhaotong, China on September 10, 2026, with origin time 16:53 UTC. See the M4.7 event page for the full report, ShakeMap, and citizen-reported intensity data. | ||||||||
2026-09-09 2026-09-09 10:51:39 UTC | 4.6mb | 30 km WSW of Jiyuan, China 34.974°, 112.272° | 10.0 km | - | - | - | ✓ Reviewed | USGS → |
A magnitude 4.6 seismic event took place 30 km WSW of Jiyuan, China on September 9, 2026 at 10:51 UTC. See the M4.6 event page for the full report, ShakeMap, and citizen-reported intensity data. | ||||||||
2026-09-07 2026-09-07 17:31:42 UTC | 4.6mb | 30 km SW of Zhaotong, China 27.129°, 103.491° | 10.0 km | - | - | - | ✓ Reviewed | USGS → |
September 7, 2026 brought a magnitude 4.6 earthquake 30 km SW of Zhaotong, China, logged at 17:31 UTC. The event was offshore. See the M4.6 event page for the full report, ShakeMap, and citizen-reported intensity data. | ||||||||
2026-09-03 2026-09-03 17:04:40 UTC | 5.1mww | 273 km SSE of Dunhuang, China 37.777°, 95.464° | 10.0 km | - | - | - | ✓ Reviewed | USGS → |
On September 3, 2026 at 17:04 UTC, a magnitude 5.1 earthquake struck 273 km SSE of Dunhuang, China. It is the largest earthquake currently listed for China over the past 30 days. See the M5.1 event page for the full report, ShakeMap, and citizen-reported intensity data. | ||||||||
Legend:
Mag: Magnitude (magType = ml, mb, mw, etc.)
Felt: Number of DYFI felt reports
MMI: Modified Mercalli Intensity (I-X+)
Alert: PAGER alert level
Depth: Shallow (<70km), Intermediate, Deep (>300km)
Status: Auto = preliminary, Reviewed = verified by seismologist
Click any row to see additional technical details.
Earthquake Statistics
Last 24 Hours0
Last 30 Days16
2026 (M2.5+)205
Largest (30 Days)
M5.1
273 km SSE of Dunhuang, China
2026-09-03
Largest in 2026
M6.3
262 km SSE of Dunhuang, China
2026-06-16
Data from USGS Earthquake Hazards Program. Updated every 5 minutes.
About China
China experiences earthquakes across its western regions due to the ongoing collision between India and Asia. The 2008 Sichuan earthquake was particularly devastating.
China Earthquakes 2026
In 2026, China has recorded 205 earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or greater so far. The largest earthquake in China in 2026 was a magnitude 6.3 event near Dunhuang, China.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many earthquakes occur in China?
In the past 30 days, 16 earthquakes have been recorded in the China region.
What was the biggest recent earthquake in China?
The largest recent earthquake in the China area was a magnitude 5.1 event that occurred 273 km SSE of Dunhuang, China.
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