M5.7 earthquake 125 km WNW of Kashgar, China
A magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck 125 km WNW of Kashgar, China on Thu, Apr 30, 1987, 11:17 AM GMT+6 (05:17 UTC), 8 km (5 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, moment), moderate
- Magnitude from
- USGS National Earthquake Information Center
- Local time
- UTC
- 1987-04-30 05:17:37 UTC
- Depth
- 8.0 km (5.0 mi), shallow
- Epicenter
- 39.761° N, 74.573° E
- Region
- China
- Strongest shaking
- VII, very strong 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5.7 | Mw, moment | USGS National Earthquake Information Center | Preferred · Reviewed |
| 5.65 | Mw, moment | ISC-GEM global catalog | Final · ±0.1 |
| 5.6 | Mwc, centroid moment | Global CMT project | Preliminary |
What happened
The USGS’s account of the effects of this earthquake.
Minor damage in the Wuqia area. Felt strongly in the Kashi-Wuqia area. Felt (IV) at Andizhan and Sufi-Kurgan; (III) at Fergana, Kulyab and Dzhirgatal; (II) at Namangan, Dushanbe and Tashkent, USSR. CENTROID, MOMENT TENSOR (HRV) Data Used: GDSN L.P.B.: 14S, 35C Centroid Location: Origin Time 05:17:43.2 0.3 Lat 39.67N 0.04 Lon 74.67E 0.04 Dep 15.0 BDY Half-duration 2.7 Moment Tensor; Scale 10**17 Nm Mrr=3.77 0.10 Mtt=-2.99 0.14 Mff=-0.78 0.11 Mrt=-0.05 0.41 Mrf=0.23 0.38 Mtf=1.43 0.11 Principal Axes: (T) Val=3.78 Plg=87 Azm=273 (N) Val=-0.09 Plg=3 Azm=116 (P) Val=-3.69 Plg=1 Azm=26 Best Double Couple:Mo=3.7*10**17 NP1:Strike=113 Dip=44 Slip=86 NP2:Strike=299 Dip=46 Slip=94
From the USGS event page for usp00034kh. U.S. Geological Survey text and figures are in the public domain.
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
- 28.9% of gravity
- Peak ground velocity
- 3.2 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
- CONSTRAINED_BY_DEPTH_PHASES
Nearest places
Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.
Nearby
Within 100 km, magnitude 2.7 and up: 6 in the 60 days after this one and 0 in the 30 days before it.
After
- 4.5111 km WNW of Kashgar, China · 14399 days ago · 10 km deep · 15 km away
- 4.3123 km WNW of Kashgar, China · 14399 days ago · 10 km deep · 4 km away
- 4.6125 km W of Kashgar, China · 14397 days ago · 33 km deep · 22 km away
- 4.3130 km N of Murghob, Tajikistan · 14383 days ago · 33 km deep · 80 km away
- 3.894 km ESE of Nookat, Kyrgyzstan · 14365 days ago · 33 km deep · 82 km away
- 5.2122 km WNW of Kashgar, China · 14360 days ago · 10 km deep · 4 km away
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Sources
From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event usp00034kh (also filed as gcmtb043087c, gcmt19870430051737, atlas19870430051737, iscgem470241). Read Thu, Oct 1, 2026, 12:51 PM UTC.