Reviewed by USGSIndia97y ago
M7.6 earthquake 37 km S of Sarupathar, India
Tuesday, January 27, 1931, 20:09:20 UTC · 25.872°N, 96.764°E
A magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck 37 km S of Sarupathar, India on Tuesday, January 27, 1931, 20:09:20 UTC, at a depth of 15.0 km (shallow). No earthquake of this size or larger appears within 300 km in the USGS catalog since 1900.
- Magnitude
- 7.6
- Major · 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: 200 km aftershock search areaColoured lines: estimated shaking intensity (USGS ShakeMap)
In context
How big was it, and why here?
Energy released
3.5 megatons of TNT
That is about 235 times the Hiroshima bomb. It released about 7,413 times the energy of a magnitude 5.0.
Tectonic setting
6 km
from the nearest mapped plate boundary, between the Indian and Eurasian plates. Earthquakes cluster along boundaries like this one, where plates collide, pull apart or slide past each other.
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 200 km
USGS lists 3 M2.5+ earthquakes within 200 km in the following 30 days; the largest was M6.1 on February 10, 1931. 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:
- 7.362 km S of Bhamo, MyanmarFebruary 17, 1905 · 246 km S of this epicenter
- 7.264 km NNE of Sarupathar, IndiaDecember 12, 1908 · 101 km N of this epicenter
- 6.7129 km ENE of Myitkyina, MyanmarSeptember 21, 1930 · 183 km E of this epicenter
- 6.510 km S of Mokokchūng, IndiaMay 12, 1906 · 227 km W of this epicenter
- 6.596 km SSW of Sarupathar, IndiaMarch 28, 1914 · 63 km SW of this epicenter
- 6.5110 km E of Myitkyina, MyanmarApril 28, 1930 · 178 km E of this epicenter
- 6.481 km NNE of Sarupathar, IndiaAugust 31, 1906 · 117 km NE of this epicenter
- 6.3113 km ENE of Myitkyina, MyanmarDecember 2, 1930 · 170 km E of this epicenter
History · NOAA
Deadliest earthquakes in this area
NOAA’s significant-earthquake database lists 8 damaging, deadly or tsunami-generating earthquakes within 300 km of this epicenter since 1700, which together caused about 1 recorded deaths. The most severe:
- 1906M5.3
Yunnan Province
May 1906 · 233 km away · intensity VII
1 deathModerate damage ($1–5M)
- 1930M6.7
Yunnan Province:
21 Sep 1930 · 183 km away · intensity VIII
Moderate damage ($1–5M)
- 1876M6.0
Yunnan Province
5 Aug 1876 · 269 km away · intensity VIII
Moderate damage ($1–5M)
- 1929M5.5
Htawgaw
19 Jan 1929 · 131 km away · intensity IX
Moderate damage ($1–5M)
- 1929
Myitkyina
4 Jun 1929 · 87 km away
Moderate damage ($1–5M)
- 1931
Kamaing
28 Jan 1931 · 53 km away · intensity IX
Moderate damage ($1–5M)
NOAA NCEI Global Significant Earthquake Database. Historical figures are estimates; older records are incomplete.