M5.1 earthquake 244 km ENE of Qamdo, China
A magnitude 5.1 earthquake struck 244 km ENE of Qamdo, China on Thu, Mar 22, 1973, 4:35 AM GMT+8 (20:35 UTC), 35 km (22 mi) below the surface.
A larger quake followed: M5.4 276 km NW of Kangding, China. This one was a foreshock.
Map
Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Magnitude
- 5.1 (mw), moderate
- Local time
- UTC
- 1973-03-21 20:35:55 UTC
- Depth
- 35.0 km (21.7 mi), shallow
- Epicenter
- 31.791° N, 99.637° 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 2.1 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 iscgemsup763164. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 11:28 PM UTC.