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China earthquakes in 1937

9 earthquakes of magnitude 4.5 or more were located in China in 1937. The largest: M7.8 Southern Qinghai, China, Jan 7, 1937.

From the USGS catalog. Times are local to each quake.

19361938

Map

Where every quake of 1937 was located in China. Select one for its page.

Open the live map with earthquakes

Every quake of 1937

Magnitude 4.5 and up, newest first.

Month by month

Counted by UTC date, which is how the catalog files them.

MonthQuakesLargestWhere
January 193727.8Southern Qinghai, China
February 193715.7Southern Qinghai, China
March 19370
April 193716.062 km SSE of Burang, China
May 19370
June 19370
July 193717.024 km W of Heze, China
August 193736.728 km W of Heze, China
September 19370
October 19370
November 193715.5291 km SW of Xining, China
December 19370

What this means

The catalog is only as complete as the instruments of the time. Worldwide coverage of magnitude 5 and up dates from the 1960s, and of 4.5 from the 1990s; earlier years hold the large quakes and the ones near a station, so a low count in an early year means fewer instruments, not a quiet earth.

By year

Every year the USGS catalog covers.

Nearby

China nowWorldwide in 1937

Sources

Earthquakes, magnitudes, depths, shaking estimates and felt reports from the U.S. Geological Survey Earthquake Hazards Program, read from its live feeds and its catalog back to 1900. Tsunami messages from NOAA’s tsunami warning centers.