M5.4 earthquake 147 km SE of Altay, China
A magnitude 5.4 earthquake struck 147 km SE of Altay, China on Sat, Sep 19, 1987, 3:58 AM GMT+6 (21:58 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
- 5.4 (Mw, moment), moderate
- Magnitude from
- USGS National Earthquake Information Center
- Local time
- UTC
- 1987-09-18 21:58:41 UTC
- Depth
- 33.0 km (20.5 mi), shallow
- Epicenter
- 47.017° N, 89.658° E
- Region
- China
- 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5.4 | Mw, moment | USGS National Earthquake Information Center | Preferred · Reviewed |
| 5.34 | Mw, moment | ISC-GEM global catalog | Final · ±0.1 |
| 5.3 | Mwc, centroid moment | Global CMT project | Preliminary |
What happened
The USGS’s account of the effects of this earthquake.
CENTROID, MOMENT TENSOR (HRV) Data Used: GDSN L.P.B.: 11S, 24C Centroid Location: Origin Time 21:58:39.9 0.5 Lat 47.24N 0.05 Lon 89.69E 0.06 Dep 15.0 FIX Half-duration 1.9 Moment Tensor; Scale 10**17 Nm Mrr=-0.02 0.05 Mtt=-1.01 0.06 Mff=1.02 0.07 Mrt=0.00 0.00 Mrf=0.00 0.00 Mtf=0.78 0.06 Principal Axes: (T) Val=1.29 Plg=0 Azm=109 (N) Val=-0.01 Plg=90 Azm=180 (P) Val=-1.27 Plg=0 Azm=19 Best Double Couple:Mo=1.3*10**17 NP1:Strike=154 Dip=90 Slip=180 NP2:Strike=244 Dip=90 Slip=0
From the USGS event page for usp00038gv. U.S. Geological Survey text and figures are in the public domain.
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 2.4 and up: 0 in the 60 days after this one and 0 in the 30 days before it.
None recorded.
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Sources
From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event usp00038gv (also filed as gcmtb091887b, gcmt19870918215836, iscgem457916). Read Sun, Oct 4, 2026, 4:18 PM UTC.