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China · Qinghai

M5.0 Earthquake near Qaidam, Qinghai (China)

UTC time: 2026-09-16 05:52:03 UTC Local time: —
Earthquake newsQuakeMap24
First published:

Automatically generated from measurement data by QuakeMap24. Values may change after further analysis.

Map

M5.0 Earthquake near Qaidam, Qinghai (China) · 2026-09-16 — Map showing the location of the epicenter
M5.0 Earthquake near Qaidam, Qinghai (China) · 2026-09-16 — Map showing the location of the epicenter

About this earthquake

A magnitude M5.0 earthquake was recorded near Qaidam, Qinghai (China) on September 16, 2026 at 05:52 UTC. The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 10 km, increasing how strongly it was felt. Earthquakes of this magnitude can damage poorly built structures.

The data is provided by USGS and cross-checked across seismological networks. China: 4 earthquakes were recorded in the past 24 hours, the strongest reaching M4.2.

Details

ID
336f61e9f55f96242f941aa721f0f61bc0335882
Magnitude
M5.0
Depth
10.5 km
UTC time
2026-09-16 05:52:03 UTC
Local time
—
Country
China
State
Qinghai
City
Qaidam
County
Da Qaidam
Source
usgs
Coordinates
37.70780, 95.49630
Temperature
15.2°C

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 10.5 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 10.5 km
Shallow
10.5 km
10.5 km — shallower than the regional average (18.4 km)
Regional average: 18.4 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

Tectonic context

Located on the Eurasia Plate.
Near the boundary Eurasia ↔ India · about 1059 km away

Nearby population centers

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

PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation
Golmud Town154.1 kmSW31'941
Dunhuang282.3 kmN186'027
Zhangye453.2 kmE507'433

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Comparison of seismic sources

3 sources currently report magnitudes from M3.6 to M5.0.

Measurements can differ because agencies use different networks and calculation methods. Values may be revised.

SourceMagnitudeDepthPosition difference
EMSCM3.610.0 km15.6 km
USGSM5.010.5 km0.0 km
GFZM4.610.0 km14.9 km

Qinghai

Context for this earthquake

20 Sep 2025 – 20 Sep 2026 · M ≥ 3.0 · 69 Catalogue entries

Of 68 other entries for this area and period, 21 have a higher stored magnitude. Different magnitude types and reports not yet merged limit the comparison.

Open seismic profile

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#25
Earlier events M≥454
Earlier events M≥527
Compared since2025-11-28

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

Strongest earlier events

M6.42026-06-16 09:06:55 UTC18.6 kmQaidam M6.32026-06-16 09:06:56 UTC22.0 kmQaidam M6.32026-06-16 09:06:56 UTC23.7 kmQaidam M6.32026-06-16 09:06:55 UTC21.7 kmQaidam M6.32026-06-16 09:06:55 UTC28.4 kmQinghai, China

Historic earthquake map · China

Open history map
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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