M5.7 earthquake 122 km NE of Aksu, China
A magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck 122 km NE of Aksu, China on Tue, Jan 6, 1987, 4:52 AM GMT+6 (22:52 UTC), 17 km (10 mi) below the surface.
Map
Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Magnitude
- 5.7 (mw), moderate
- Local time
- UTC
- 1987-01-05 22:52:46 UTC
- Depth
- 16.5 km (10.3 mi), shallow
- Epicenter
- 41.964° N, 81.319° E
- Region
- China
- Strongest shaking
- VII, very strong shaking
- Tsunami flag
- No
- Status
- Reviewed by a seismologist
Deaths and damage
From NOAA NCEI’s Significant Earthquake Database (record 5122), matched to this event by time and place.
- Injuries
- Many (about 101 to 1,000)
- Damage
- Moderate (about $1 to $5 million)
Where the literature gives no number, NCEI records a description on a scale of 1 to 4, printed here in its words. Damage is in millions of US dollars of the year of the event, not adjusted for inflation.
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
- 24.0% 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.
- Depth from
- OPERATOR_ASSIGNED
Nearest places
Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.
Nearby
Within 100 km, magnitude 2.7 and up: 0 in the 60 days after this one and 0 in the 30 days before it.
None recorded.
Earthquakes todayChina earthquakesLive radar here
Sources
From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event usp00031e9 (also filed as gcmtb010587d, gcmt19870105225249, atlas19870105225246, iscgem475897). Read Wed, Sep 30, 2026, 6:19 AM UTC.