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China earthquakes in 1955

13 earthquakes of magnitude 4.5 or more were located in China in 1955. The largest: M7.1 19 km WSW of Kangding, China, Apr 14, 1955.

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

19541956

Map

Where every quake of 1955 was located in China. Select one for its page.

Open the live map with earthquakes

Every quake of 1955

Magnitude 4.5 and up, newest first.

Month by month

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

MonthQuakesLargestWhere
January 195516.5western Xizang
February 195515.3188 km WSW of Aykol, China
March 195515.962 km WSW of Dêqên, China
April 195547.119 km WSW of Kangding, China
May 19550
June 195526.260 km WNW of Dadukou, China
July 19550
August 19550
September 195526.711 km SE of Dadukou, China
October 195515.9Western Sichuan, China
November 19550
December 195515.952 km WSW of Dêqên, China

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 1955

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.