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China · Qinghai

M5.2 Earthquake near Qaidam, Qinghai (China)

UTC time: 2026-08-20 09:49:48 UTC Local time: —
Earthquake newsQuakeMap24
Archive record · original publication time was not recorded

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

Map

M5.2 Earthquake near Qaidam, Qinghai (China) · 2026-08-20 — Map showing the location of the epicenter
M5.2 Earthquake near Qaidam, Qinghai (China) · 2026-08-20 — Map showing the location of the epicenter

About this earthquake

A magnitude M5.2 earthquake was recorded near Qaidam, Qinghai (China) on August 20, 2026 at 09:49 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 event was recorded by USGS. China: over the past 24 hours, QuakeMap24 logged 3 earthquakes, the strongest at M5.0.

Details

ID
e1526becc512440c9991a13c4ef71796224d1f50
Magnitude
M5.2
Depth
10.0 km
UTC time
2026-08-20 09:49:48 UTC
Local time
—
Country
China
State
Qinghai
City
Qaidam
County
Da Qaidam
Source
usgs
Coordinates
37.80580, 95.44540
Temperature
7.2°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 1070 km away

Nearby population centers

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

PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation
Golmud Town162.7 kmS31'941
Dunhuang270.7 kmN186'027
Zhangye454.0 kmE507'433

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Comparison of seismic sources

4 sources currently report magnitudes from M4.9 to M5.2.

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

SourceMagnitudeDepthPosition difference
SERBIA_RSZM4.95.0 km13.2 km
GFZM5.010.0 km9.2 km
USGSM5.210.0 km0.0 km
EMSCM5.035.0 km14.2 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#13
Earlier events M≥452
Earlier events M≥525
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 UTC11.6 kmQaidam M6.32026-06-16 09:06:56 UTC13.9 kmQaidam M6.32026-06-16 09:06:56 UTC16.5 kmQaidam M6.32026-06-16 09:06:55 UTC10.0 kmQaidam M6.32026-06-16 09:06:55 UTC21.2 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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