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M6.2 Depth: 8.6 km

M6.2 Earthquake near Qaidam, Qinghai (China)

UTC time: 2026-06-16 09:06:57 UTC Local time: —

About this earthquake

On June 16, 2026 at 09:06 UTC, a magnitude M6.2 earthquake occurred near Qaidam, Qinghai (China). The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 9 km, increasing how strongly it was felt. Events of this size are considered strong and can be dangerous in inhabited regions.

The event was recorded by INGV. China: over the past 24 hours, QuakeMap24 logged 2 earthquakes, the strongest at M4.4.

Details

Magnitude
M6.2
Depth
8.6 km
UTC time
2026-06-16 09:06:57 UTC
Local time
—
Country
China
State
Qinghai
City
Qaidam
County
Da Qaidam
Source
ingv
Coordinates
37.82110, 95.62850
Temperature
-0.4°C

Map

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 8.6 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 8.6 km
Shallow
8.6 km
8.6 km — shallower than the regional average (21.2 km)
Regional average: 21.2 km
Why depth matters

Shallow quakes release energy near the surface — shaking is felt more strongly and damage potential is higher.

Depth classes per USGS

Nearby population centers

Distances are straight-line distances from the epicenter. Population data: GeoNames.

PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation
Golmud Town170.4 kmSW31'941
Dunhuang273.3 kmN186'027
Zhangye438.2 kmE507'433

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Subsequent earthquakes nearby

Events recorded after this earthquake within 250 km. They are not automatically classified as aftershocks.

First 6 hours7
First 24 hours20
First 72 hours25
Strongest subsequent eventM5.4
M5.22026-06-16 09:42:35 UTC31.5 kmQaidam M5.22026-06-16 09:42:36 UTC19.0 kmQaidam M4.92026-06-16 09:42:36 UTC27.6 kmQaidam M5.42026-06-16 09:45:26 UTC39.0 kmQaidam M4.72026-06-16 11:01:02 UTC36.0 kmQaidam M4.92026-06-16 13:27:37 UTC21.4 kmQaidam M4.92026-06-16 13:27:37 UTC31.2 kmQaidam M4.22026-06-16 21:52:45 UTC26.3 kmQaidam M4.92026-06-17 02:06:18 UTC18.4 kmNORTHERN QINGHAI, CHINA M4.92026-06-17 02:06:18 UTC10.9 kmQaidam M4.72026-06-17 02:06:19 UTC20.7 kmQaidam M4.72026-06-17 02:06:20 UTC28.4 kmQaidam

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 250 km.

Magnitude rank#3
Earlier events M≥49
Earlier events M≥55
Compared since2025-11-28

The QuakeMap24 comparison dataset begins on 2024-03-23. Earlier earthquakes may not be included.

Strongest earlier events

M6.32026-06-16 09:06:56 UTC10.4 kmQaidam M6.32026-06-16 09:06:55 UTC21.2 kmQaidam M6.02026-06-16 09:06:56 UTC14.5 kmQaidam M5.02026-01-14 23:18:19 UTC31.6 kmchai dan zhen M5.02026-01-14 23:18:18 UTC46.8 kmchai dan zhen

Historic earthquake map · China

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Explore recent and long-term earthquake activity in this country. Use filters to narrow down by magnitude, depth, and date range.

Country statistics · China

Country overview
View earthquake KPIs, strongest and latest events, and averages for this country.

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