M4.6 earthquake 82 km NE of Aral, China
A magnitude 4.6 earthquake struck 82 km NE of Aral, China on Sun, Jun 17, 1973, 4:38 AM GMT+6 (22:38 UTC), 33 km (21 mi) below the surface.
Map
Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Magnitude
- 4.6 (mb, body-wave), light
- Magnitude from
- USGS National Earthquake Information Center
- Local time
- UTC
- 1973-06-16 22:38:44 UTC
- Depth
- 33.0 km (20.5 mi), shallow
- Epicenter
- 40.987° N, 82.041° E
- Region
- China
- Strongest shaking
- IV, light shaking
- Tsunami flag
- No
- Status
- Reviewed by a seismologist
Magnitude estimates
Different scales measure different things and differ by a few tenths. The USGS marks one as preferred, and it is the one this page uses.
| Mag. | Scale | Computed by | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.6 | mb, body-wave | USGS National Earthquake Information Center | Preferred · Reviewed |
| 5.09 | Mw, moment | ISC-GEM global catalog | Final · ±0.2 |
Shaking
The USGS ShakeMap: shaking estimated from seismic stations and the quake’s size, on the Modified Mercalli intensity scale.
- Strongest estimated
- IV, light shaking
- Peak ground acceleration
- 3.0% of gravity
- Peak ground velocity
- -0.1 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.
- Depth from
- OPERATOR_ASSIGNED
- Stations used
- 9
Nearest places
Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.
Nearby
Within 100 km, magnitude 1.6 and up: 0 in the 60 days after this one and 2 in the 30 days before it.
Before
Earthquakes todayChina earthquakesLive radar here
Sources
From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event usp000026w (also filed as iscgem759436). Read Fri, Oct 2, 2026, 8:13 PM UTC.