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China · Qinghai

M5.1 Earthquake near Qaidam, Qinghai (China)

UTC time: 2026-10-20 06:41:23 UTC Local time: —

Map

M5.1 Earthquake near Qaidam, Qinghai (China) · 2026-10-20 — Map showing the location of the epicenter
M5.1 Earthquake near Qaidam, Qinghai (China) · 2026-10-20 — Map showing the location of the epicenter

About this earthquake

On October 20, 2026 at 06:41 UTC, a magnitude M5.1 earthquake occurred near Qaidam, Qinghai (China). 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 event was recorded by USGS. China: 3 earthquakes were recorded in the past 24 hours, the strongest reaching M5.1.

Details

ID
40619fe139c6d87e9ca7dccb6de01955e71ffec9
Magnitude
M5.1
Depth
10.0 km
UTC time
2026-10-20 06:41:23 UTC
Local time
—
Country
China
State
Qinghai
City
Qaidam
County
Da Qaidam
Source
usgs
Coordinates
37.90370, 95.64360
Temperature
-11.8°C

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 10 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 10 km
Shallow
10 km
10 km — shallower than the regional average (18.3 km)
Regional average: 18.3 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 1081 km away

Nearby population centers

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

PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation
Golmud Town153.8 kmS31'941
Dunhuang280.1 kmN186'027
Zhangye456.6 kmE507'433

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Comparison of seismic sources

4 sources currently report magnitudes from M4.9 to M5.1.

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

SourceMagnitudeDepthPosition difference
GFZM5.010.0 km13.0 km
SERBIA_RSZM4.910.0 km18.8 km
USGSM5.110.0 km0.0 km
EMSCM5.013.0 km26.6 km

Qinghai

Context for this earthquake

05 Oct 2025 – 05 Oct 2026 · M ≥ 3.0 · 74 Catalogue entries

Sufficiently reliable matching data are not currently available for a direct comparison. The area profile shows the available records and their limitations.

Open seismic profile

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#25
Earlier events M≥455
Earlier events M≥528
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 UTC18.9 kmQaidam M6.32026-06-16 09:06:56 UTC22.0 kmQaidam M6.32026-06-16 09:06:56 UTC24.0 kmQaidam M6.32026-06-16 09:06:55 UTC19.3 kmQaidam M6.32026-06-16 09:06:55 UTC28.8 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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