M5.8 earthquake 62 km SSE of Qamdo, China
A magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck 62 km SSE of Qamdo, China on Fri, Mar 16, 1951, 9:56 PM GMT+8 (13:56 UTC), 15 km (9 mi) below the surface.
A larger quake followed: M6.2 36 km SSE of Qamdo, China. This one was a foreshock.
Map
Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Magnitude
- 5.8 (mw), moderate
- Local time
- UTC
- 1951-03-16 13:56:54 UTC
- Depth
- 15.0 km (9.3 mi), shallow
- Epicenter
- 30.634° N, 97.487° E
- Region
- China
- Strongest shaking
- VII, very 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
- VII, very strong shaking
- Peak ground acceleration
- 24.3% of gravity
- Peak ground velocity
- 2.8 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 0 in the 30 days before it.
After
Earthquakes todayChina earthquakesLive radar here
Sources
From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event iscgem894187. Read Thu, Sep 24, 2026, 8:29 AM UTC.