Reviewed by USGSChina75y ago
M5.6 earthquake 90 km NE of Dêqên, China
Sunday, November 18, 1951, 18:41:30 UTC · 30.477°N, 91.451°E
A magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck 90 km NE of Dêqên, China on Sunday, November 18, 1951, 18:41:30 UTC, at a depth of 15.0 km (shallow). It is the strongest earthquake within 300 km since an M6.0 on November 18, 1951.
- Magnitude
- 5.6
- Moderate · mw
- Depth
- 15 km
- Shallow
- Felt reports
- 0
- Did You Feel It?
- Est. shaking
- VII
- Very strong (ShakeMap)
- PAGER alert
- None
- Not issued
- Tsunami
- No flag
- USGS feed
Outlined circle: this earthquakeDashed circle: 75 km aftershock search areaColoured lines: estimated shaking intensity (USGS ShakeMap)
In context
How big was it, and why here?
Energy released
4 kilotons of TNT
That is about 1/4 of the Hiroshima bomb. It released about 8 times the energy of a magnitude 5.0.
Tectonic setting
382 km
from the nearest mapped plate boundary, between the Eurasian and Indian plates. Earthquakes this far from a boundary happen on faults inside a plate, often less frequently but sometimes strongly.
Depth: shallow
15 km
Shallow earthquakes (under 70 km) produce the strongest surface shaking for their size, so they are the ones most likely to cause damage near the epicenter.
Did You Feel It?
Where it was felt
No “Did You Feel It?” reports have been published for this event yet. If you felt it, you can add your report on the USGS website.
I felt it — report to USGS ↗USGS PAGER estimate
Who was exposed to shaking
USGS publishes PAGER impact estimates for significant earthquakes, usually within an hour. No PAGER estimate is available for this event.
After the main event
Aftershocks within 75 km
USGS lists 1 M2.5+ earthquake within 75 km in the following 30 days; the largest was M5.5 on December 3, 1951. Most nearby activity right after a large earthquake is aftershocks, which usually become less frequent over days and weeks.
Regional history
Past M5+ earthquakes within 300 km
USGS lists 26 M5.0+ earthquakes within 300 km before this one (catalog from 1900; older records are less complete). The strongest:
- 7.789 km WSW of Nagqu, ChinaNovember 18, 1951 · 67 km N of this epicenter
- 7.3200 km NW of Dêqên, ChinaDecember 15, 1934 · 232 km W of this epicenter
- 6.6147 km NW of Dêqên, ChinaOctober 8, 1924 · 183 km W of this epicenter
- 6.634 km NNW of Tawang, IndiaDecember 3, 1915 · 294 km S of this epicenter
- 6.5176 km NNW of Rikaze, ChinaJanuary 3, 1935 · 299 km W of this epicenter
- 6.2161 km NNE of Nagqu, ChinaJune 23, 1934 · 287 km NE of this epicenter
- 6.279 km SSW of Nagqu, ChinaOctober 4, 1940 · 46 km NE of this epicenter
- 6.2100 km NE of Dêqên, ChinaSeptember 3, 1940 · 11 km E of this epicenter
History · NOAA
Deadliest earthquakes in this area
NOAA’s significant-earthquake database lists 3 damaging, deadly or tsunami-generating earthquakes within 300 km of this epicenter since 1700, which together caused about 270 recorded deaths. The most severe:
- 1915M7.0
Tibet (Xizang Province)
3 Dec 1915 · 109 km away · intensity IX
170 deathsModerate damage ($1–5M)
- 1806M7.7
Tibet (Xizang Province): Shannan (Lhoka)
11 Jun 1806 · 226 km away
100 deathsModerate damage ($1–5M)
- 1951M7.5
Tibet (Xizang Province)
18 Nov 1951 · 69 km away
Limited damage (under $1M)
NOAA NCEI Global Significant Earthquake Database. Historical figures are estimates; older records are incomplete.