China earthquakes

M5.6 earthquake 80 km WNW of Aksu, China

A magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck 80 km WNW of Aksu, China on Tue, Jun 15, 1971, 1:39 PM GMT+6 (07:39 UTC), 10 km (6 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M6.0 85 km WNW of Aksu, China. This one was a foreshock.

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Map

Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.

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The earthquake

Magnitude: 5.6 (mw), moderate
Local time: Tue, Jun 15, 1971, 1:39 PM GMT+6
UTC: 1971-06-15 07:39:35 UTC
Depth: 10.3 km (6.4 mi), shallow
Epicenter: 41.438° N, 79.378° 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: 26.6% of gravity
Peak ground velocity: 3.0 cm/s
Map: Automatic

USGS ShakeMap: estimated shaking intensity around the epicenter — Estimated shaking intensity. Map: USGS ShakeMap.

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: ±0.26
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: 9 in the 60 days after this one and 0 in the 30 days before it.

After

Earthquakes today China earthquakes Live radar here

Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event iscgem783466 (also filed as atlas19710615073937). Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 5:09 AM UTC.