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M5.2 Depth: 8.1 km

M5.2 Earthquake near Qaidam, Qinghai (China)

UTC time: 2026-06-23 15:29:02 UTC Local time: —

About this earthquake

On June 23, 2026 at 15:29 UTC, a magnitude M5.2 earthquake occurred near Qaidam, Qinghai (China). With a focal depth of about 8 km, this was a shallow earthquake, whose shaking is usually felt more strongly at the surface. Events of this size can cause damage near the epicenter.

The event was recorded by USGS. China: 11 earthquakes were recorded in the past 24 hours, the strongest reaching M5.5.

Details

Magnitude
M5.2
Depth
8.1 km
UTC time
2026-06-23 15:29:02 UTC
Local time
—
Country
China
State
Qinghai
City
Qaidam
County
Da Qaidam
Source
usgs
Coordinates
37.82140, 95.29830
Temperature
-1.2°C

Map

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 8.1 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 8.1 km
Shallow
8.1 km
8.1 km — shallower than the regional average (21 km)
Regional average: 21 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 1072 km away

Nearby population centers

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

PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation
Golmud Town160.4 kmS31'941
Dunhuang266.1 kmN186'027
Zhangye465.9 kmE507'433

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Subsequent earthquakes nearby

Events recorded after this earthquake within 150 km. They are not automatically classified as aftershocks.

First 6 hours7
First 24 hours7
First 72 hours7
Strongest subsequent eventM5.5
M5.52026-06-23 15:29:03 UTC12.4 kmQaidam M5.12026-06-23 15:29:03 UTC12.5 kmQaidam M5.12026-06-23 15:29:03 UTC16.0 kmQaidam M5.12026-06-23 15:29:04 UTC17.5 kmQaidam M4.52026-06-23 15:56:34 UTC61.7 kmQaidam M4.52026-06-23 15:56:35 UTC8.7 kmQaidam M4.52026-06-23 15:56:36 UTC18.6 kmQaidam

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#11
Earlier events M≥438
Earlier events M≥517
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 UTC22.8 kmQaidam M6.32026-06-16 09:06:56 UTC23.6 kmQaidam M6.32026-06-16 09:06:56 UTC26.6 kmQaidam M6.32026-06-16 09:06:55 UTC11.8 kmQaidam M6.32026-06-16 09:06:55 UTC30.5 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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