Reviewed by USGSMyanmar96y ago
M5.6 earthquake 78 km S of Bhamo, Myanmar
Wednesday, July 29, 1931, 17:09:48 UTC · 23.555°N, 97.342°E
A magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck 78 km S of Bhamo, Myanmar on Wednesday, July 29, 1931, 17:09:48 UTC, at a depth of 15.0 km (shallow). It is the strongest earthquake within 300 km since an M5.8 on July 25, 1931.
- Magnitude
- 5.6
- Moderate · mw
- Depth
- 15 km
- Shallow
- Felt reports
- 0
- Did You Feel It?
- Est. shaking
- —
- No ShakeMap
- PAGER alert
- None
- Not issued
- Tsunami
- No flag
- USGS feed
Outlined circle: this earthquake
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
141 km
from the nearest mapped plate boundary, between the Indian and Eurasian 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 has not published any M2.5+ earthquake within 75 km in the 30 days after this event.
Regional history
Past M5+ earthquakes within 300 km
USGS lists 31 M5.0+ earthquakes within 300 km before this one (catalog from 1900; older records are less complete). The strongest:
- 7.932 km NW of Taunggyi, MyanmarMay 23, 1912 · 285 km S of this epicenter
- 7.637 km S of Sarupathar, IndiaJanuary 27, 1931 · 264 km N of this epicenter
- 7.362 km S of Bhamo, MyanmarFebruary 17, 1905 · 23 km NW of this epicenter
- 7.399 km E of Lashio, MyanmarJune 22, 1923 · 162 km SE of this epicenter
- 6.7129 km ENE of Myitkyina, MyanmarSeptember 21, 1930 · 282 km NE of this epicenter
- 6.596 km SSW of Sarupathar, IndiaMarch 28, 1914 · 232 km NW of this epicenter
- 6.5110 km E of Myitkyina, MyanmarApril 28, 1930 · 244 km NE of this epicenter
- 6.3113 km ENE of Myitkyina, MyanmarDecember 2, 1930 · 268 km NE of this epicenter
History · NOAA
Deadliest earthquakes in this area
NOAA’s significant-earthquake database lists 12 damaging, deadly or tsunami-generating earthquakes within 300 km of this epicenter since 1700, which together caused about 401 recorded deaths. The most severe:
- 1839
Ava, Amarapura
23 Mar 1839 · 230 km away · intensity XI
400 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)
- 1906M5.3
Yunnan Province
May 1906 · 173 km away · intensity VII
1 deathModerate damage ($1–5M)
- 1912M8.0
Mandalay, Mogok, Maymyo
23 May 1912 · 286 km away · intensity IX
Severe damage ($5–24M)
- 1838
Ava (Innwa)
1838 · 239 km away
Severe damage ($5–24M)
- 1930M6.7
Yunnan Province:
21 Sep 1930 · 282 km away · intensity VIII
Moderate damage ($1–5M)
- 1876M6.0
Yunnan Province
5 Aug 1876 · 292 km away · intensity VIII
Moderate damage ($1–5M)
NOAA NCEI Global Significant Earthquake Database. Historical figures are estimates; older records are incomplete.