M5.4 earthquake 140 km W of Mawu, China
A magnitude 5.4 earthquake struck 140 km W of Mawu, China on Thu, Jan 8, 1987, 2:19 AM GMT+8 (18:19 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
- 1987-01-07 18:19:08 UTC
- Depth
- 33.0 km (20.5 mi), shallow
- Epicenter
- 34.259° N, 103.405° 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 |
| 5.38 | Mw, moment | ISC-GEM global catalog | Final · ±0.1 |
| 5.4 | Mwc, centroid moment | Global CMT project | Preliminary |
What happened
The USGS’s account of the effects of this earthquake.
Felt strongly in southern Gansu Province. Also felt in the Nanping area, Sichuan Province. CENTROID, MOMENT TENSOR (HRV) Data Used: GDSN L.P.B.: 9S, 21C Centroid Location: Origin Time 18:19:11.4 0.3 Lat 34.23N 0.08 Lon 103.86E 0.07 Dep 15.0 BDY Half-duration 1.9 Moment Tensor; Scale 10**17 Nm Mrr=0.57 0.10 Mtt=0.36 0.07 Mff=-0.92 0.09 Mrt=0.53 0.18 Mrf=-0.31 0.30 Mtf=-1.02 0.09 Principal Axes: (T) Val=1.39 Plg=37 Azm=29 (N) Val=0.10 Plg=53 Azm=209 (P) Val=-1.49 Plg=0 Azm=119 Best Double Couple:Mo=1.4*10**17 NP1:Strike=170 Dip=65 Slip=28 NP2:Strike=68 Dip=65 Slip=152
From the USGS event page for usp00031fv. 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: 1 in the 60 days after this one and 0 in the 30 days before it.
After
Earthquakes todayChina earthquakesLive radar here
Sources
From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event usp00031fv (also filed as gcmtb010787a, gcmt19870107181909, iscgem476016). Read Fri, Oct 2, 2026, 10:40 PM UTC.