M5.9 earthquake 91 km SW of Nagqu, China
A magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck 91 km SW of Nagqu, China on Wed, Sep 4, 1940, 4:57 AM GMT+9 (19:57 UTC), 15 km (9 mi) below the surface.
A larger quake followed: M6.2 79 km SSW of Nagqu, China. This one was a foreshock.
Map
Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Magnitude
- 5.9 (mw), moderate
- Local time
- UTC
- 1940-09-03 19:57:15 UTC
- Depth
- 15.0 km (9.3 mi), shallow
- Epicenter
- 30.885° N, 91.384° E
- Region
- China
- Tsunami flag
- No
- Status
- Reviewed by a seismologist
Did you feel it?
No one has reported feeling this quake to the USGS.
How well it is located
Reviewed by a seismologist.
- Magnitude uncertainty
- ±0.20
- Depth from
- From location
Nearest places
Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.
Nearby
Within 100 km, magnitude 2.9 and up: 1 in the 60 days after this one and 1 in the 30 days before it.
After
Before
Earthquakes todayChina earthquakesLive radar here
Sources
From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event iscgem901566. Read Thu, Oct 1, 2026, 1:01 AM UTC.