M5.5 earthquake 72 km NE of Dêqên, China
A magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck 72 km NE of Dêqên, China on Mon, Dec 3, 1951, 2:57 PM GMT+8 (06:57 UTC), 15 km (9 mi) below the surface.
A larger quake followed: M5.7 112 km N of Dêqên, China. This one was a foreshock.
Map
Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Magnitude
- 5.5 (mw), moderate
- Local time
- UTC
- 1951-12-03 06:57:43 UTC
- Depth
- 15.0 km (9.3 mi), shallow
- Epicenter
- 30.441° N, 91.232° E
- Region
- China
- Strongest shaking
- VI, strong shaking
- Tsunami flag
- No
- Status
- Reviewed by a seismologist
Shaking
The USGS ShakeMap: shaking estimated from seismic stations and the quake’s size, on the Modified Mercalli intensity scale.
- Strongest estimated
- VI, strong shaking
- Peak ground acceleration
- 19.3% of gravity
- Peak ground velocity
- 2.5 cm/s
- Map
- Automatic
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 2.5 and up: 2 in the 60 days after this one and 4 in the 30 days before it.
After
- 5.7112 km N of Dêqên, China · 27319 days ago · 15 km deep · 74 km away
- 6.3123 km WSW of Nagqu, China · 27300 days ago · 15 km deep · 99 km away
Before
Earthquakes todayChina earthquakesLive radar here
Sources
From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event iscgem895006. Read Wed, Sep 23, 2026, 2:06 PM UTC.