Reviewed by USGSIndia77y ago
M5.8 earthquake 68 km NNE of Hayuliang, India
Wednesday, August 16, 1950, 05:33:11 UTC · 28.665°N, 96.746°E
A magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck 68 km NNE of Hayuliang, India on Wednesday, August 16, 1950, 05:33:11 UTC, at a depth of 25.0 km (shallow). It is the strongest earthquake within 300 km since an M5.8 on August 15, 1950.
- Magnitude
- 5.8
- Moderate · mw
- Depth
- 25 km
- Shallow
- Felt reports
- 0
- Did You Feel It?
- Est. shaking
- VI
- 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
6 kilotons of TNT
That is about 1/2 of the Hiroshima bomb. It released about 13 times the energy of a magnitude 5.0.
Tectonic setting
61 km
from the nearest mapped plate boundary, between the Eurasian and Indian plates. Earthquakes cluster along boundaries like this one, where plates collide, pull apart or slide past each other.
Depth: shallow
25 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 2 M2.5+ earthquakes within 75 km in the following 30 days; the largest was M5.9 on August 23, 1950. 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 18 M5.0+ earthquakes within 300 km before this one (catalog from 1900; older records are less complete). The strongest:
- 8.61950 Assam-Tibet EarthquakeAugust 15, 1950 · 45 km SW of this epicenter
- 7.264 km NNE of Sarupathar, IndiaDecember 12, 1908 · 219 km S of this epicenter
- 6.481 km NNE of Sarupathar, IndiaAugust 31, 1906 · 210 km S of this epicenter
- 6.3167 km NNE of Shi Yomi, IndiaNovember 21, 1938 · 207 km NW of this epicenter
- 6.264 km NE of Pāsighāt, IndiaAugust 15, 1950 · 100 km W of this epicenter
- 5.86 km NNW of Sarupathar, IndiaJune 19, 1936 · 267 km S of this epicenter
- 5.884 km SSE of Hayuliang, IndiaAugust 15, 1950 · 148 km S of this epicenter
- 5.848 km NE of Along, IndiaAugust 15, 1950 · 159 km W of this epicenter
History · NOAA
Deadliest earthquakes in this area
NOAA’s significant-earthquake database lists 4 damaging, deadly or tsunami-generating earthquakes within 300 km of this epicenter since 1700, which together caused about 3,830 recorded deaths. The most severe:
- 1870M7.3
Sichuan Province: Batang
11 Apr 1870 · 264 km away · intensity X
2,300 deathsExtreme damage ($25M+)
- 1950M8.6
India-China
15 Aug 1950 · 30 km away · intensity XI
1,530 deaths$20 million damagetsunami
- 1947M7.9
India-China
29 Jul 1947 · 269 km away
- 1908M7.2
Kachin
12 Dec 1908 · 226 km away
NOAA NCEI Global Significant Earthquake Database. Historical figures are estimates; older records are incomplete.