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China earthquakes in 1940

13 earthquakes of magnitude 4.5 or more were located in China in 1940. The largest: M6.2 63 km SW of Tongliao, China, Jan 19, 1940.

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

19391941

Map

Where every quake of 1940 was located in China. Select one for its page.

Open the live map with earthquakes

Every quake of 1940

Magnitude 4.5 and up, newest first.

Month by month

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

MonthQuakesLargestWhere
January 194026.263 km SW of Tongliao, China
February 194025.889 km WNW of Karamay, China
March 194015.557 km ENE of Kuqa, China
April 194016.060 km SSW of Yuxi, China
May 19400
June 19400
July 19400
August 194026.058 km SSW of Yingkou, China
September 194036.2100 km NE of Dêqên, China
October 194016.279 km SSW of Nagqu, China
November 194016.080 km SSW of Luocheng, China
December 19400

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 1940

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.