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M6.4 Depth: 10.0 km

M6.4 Earthquake near Qaidam, Qinghai (China)

UTC time: 2026-06-16 09:06:55 UTC Local time: —

About this earthquake

A magnitude M6.4 earthquake was recorded near Qaidam, Qinghai (China) on June 16, 2026 at 09:06 UTC. With a focal depth of about 10 km, this was a shallow earthquake, whose shaking is usually felt more strongly at the surface. Earthquakes of this magnitude can cause significant damage in populated areas.

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

Details

Magnitude
M6.4
Depth
10.0 km
UTC time
2026-06-16 09:06:55 UTC
Local time
—
Country
China
State
Qinghai
City
Qaidam
County
Da Qaidam
Source
gfz
Coordinates
37.87000, 95.55000
Temperature
-0.4°C

Map

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 (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 Town172.6 kmS31'941
Dunhuang266.1 kmN186'027
Zhangye443.2 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 hours11
First 24 hours24
First 72 hours29
Strongest subsequent eventM6.3
M6.32026-06-16 09:06:56 UTC3.5 kmQaidam M5.92026-06-16 09:06:56 UTC5.1 kmQaidam M6.32026-06-16 09:06:56 UTC5.2 kmQaidam M6.22026-06-16 09:06:57 UTC8.8 kmQaidam M5.22026-06-16 09:42:35 UTC23.3 kmQaidam M5.22026-06-16 09:42:36 UTC10.8 kmQaidam M4.92026-06-16 09:42:36 UTC19.2 kmQaidam M5.42026-06-16 09:45:26 UTC35.2 kmQaidam M4.72026-06-16 11:01:02 UTC27.4 kmQaidam M4.92026-06-16 13:27:37 UTC12.7 kmQaidam M4.92026-06-16 13:27:37 UTC23.1 kmQaidam M4.22026-06-16 21:52:45 UTC18.6 kmQaidam

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 250 km.

Magnitude rank#1
Earlier events M≥47
Earlier events M≥52
Compared since2025-11-28

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

Strongest earlier events

M5.02026-01-14 23:18:19 UTC29.1 kmchai dan zhen M5.02026-01-14 23:18:18 UTC43.4 kmchai dan zhen M4.92026-01-14 23:18:19 UTC46.9 kmchai dan zhen M4.62025-12-05 11:48:32 UTC242.2 km M4.62025-11-28 22:53:32 UTC98.7 km255 km SW of Yanglong, 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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