China earthquakes

M5.9 earthquake 76 km NE of Bayan Nur, China

A magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck 76 km NE of Bayan Nur, China on Sat, Aug 25, 1979, 12:59 AM GMT+8 (16:59 UTC), 33 km (21 mi) below the surface.

Bayan Nur forecastMore in China

Map

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

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The earthquake

Magnitude
5.9 (ms), moderate
Local time
UTC
1979-08-24 16:59:30 UTC
Depth
33.0 km (20.5 mi), shallow
Epicenter
41.145° N, 108.129° 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
20.0% of gravity
Peak ground velocity
2.6 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.

Depth from
OPERATOR_ASSIGNED
Stations used
295

Nearest places

Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 2.5 and up: 0 in the 60 days after this one and 1 in the 30 days before it.

Before

Earthquakes todayChina earthquakesLive radar here

Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event usp00012kv (also filed as gcmtb082479a, gcmt19790824165930, atlas19790824165930, iscgem660838). Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 9:57 AM UTC.