Magnitude
M3.1
- Depth
- 9.0 km
- Source
- EMSC
Qinghai · Qaidam
Country overviewChina · Qinghai
M3.1 Earthquake near Qaidam, Qinghai (China)
Map
About this earthquake
A magnitude M3.1 earthquake was recorded near Qaidam, Qinghai (China) on July 29, 2026 at 16:05 UTC. With a focal depth of about 9 km, this was a shallow earthquake, whose shaking is usually felt more strongly at the surface. Shaking of this size is frequently noticed but usually harmless.
The event was recorded by EMSC. China: 2 earthquakes were recorded in the past 24 hours, the strongest reaching M3.5.
Details
Depth profile
Shallow
9 km
9 km — shallower than the regional average (18.6 km)
Regional average: 18.6 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
Qinghai
Context for this earthquake
21 Sep 2025 – 21 Sep 2026 · M ≥ 3.0 · 70 Catalogue entries
Of 69 other entries for this area and period, 62 have a higher stored magnitude. Different magnitude types and reports not yet merged limit the comparison.
Open seismic profileHistoric earthquake map · China
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Country statistics · China
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Stats (last 24h)
Global (24h)
635
Country (24h)
China
2