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M5.9 Depth: 10.0 km

M5.9 Earthquake near Qaidam, Qinghai (China)

UTC time: 2026-06-16 09:06:56 UTC Local time: —

About this earthquake

A magnitude M5.9 earthquake was recorded near Qaidam, Qinghai (China) on June 16, 2026 at 09:06 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 RESIF. China: over the past 24 hours, QuakeMap24 logged 2 earthquakes, the strongest at M4.4.

Details

Magnitude
M5.9
Depth
10.0 km
UTC time
2026-06-16 09:06:56 UTC
Local time
—
Country
China
State
Qinghai
City
Qaidam
County
Da Qaidam
Source
resif
Coordinates
37.89875, 95.50436
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 Town174.1 kmS31'941
Dunhuang262.0 kmN186'027
Zhangye446.1 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 hours8
First 24 hours21
First 72 hours26
Strongest subsequent eventM6.2
M6.22026-06-16 09:06:57 UTC13.9 kmQaidam M5.22026-06-16 09:42:35 UTC18.8 kmQaidam M5.22026-06-16 09:42:36 UTC6.6 kmQaidam M4.92026-06-16 09:42:36 UTC14.6 kmQaidam M5.42026-06-16 09:45:26 UTC33.9 kmQaidam M4.72026-06-16 11:01:02 UTC22.4 kmQaidam M4.92026-06-16 13:27:37 UTC7.8 kmQaidam M4.92026-06-16 13:27:37 UTC18.7 kmQaidam M4.22026-06-16 21:52:45 UTC14.6 kmQaidam M4.92026-06-17 02:06:18 UTC4.6 kmNORTHERN QINGHAI, CHINA M4.92026-06-17 02:06:18 UTC6.3 kmQaidam M4.72026-06-17 02:06:19 UTC10.4 kmQaidam

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#3
Earlier events M≥47
Earlier events M≥54
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 UTC5.1 kmQaidam M6.32026-06-16 09:06:55 UTC9.0 kmQaidam M5.02026-01-14 23:18:19 UTC28.8 kmchai dan zhen M5.02026-01-14 23:18:18 UTC42.2 kmchai dan zhen M4.92026-01-14 23:18:19 UTC46.0 kmchai dan zhen

Historic earthquake map · China

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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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