Reviewed by USGSMyanmar50y ago
M6.3 earthquake 147 km ESE of Myitkyina, Myanmar
Wednesday, July 21, 1976, 15:10:45 UTC · 24.782°N, 98.698°E
A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck 147 km ESE of Myitkyina, Myanmar on Wednesday, July 21, 1976, 15:10:45 UTC, at a depth of 9.0 km (shallow). It is the strongest earthquake within 300 km since an M7.0 on May 29, 1976.
- Magnitude
- 6.3
- Strong · ms
- Depth
- 9 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: 100 km aftershock search areaColoured lines: estimated shaking intensity (USGS ShakeMap)
In context
How big was it, and why here?
Energy released
43 kilotons of TNT
That is about 3 times the Hiroshima bomb. It released about 89 times the energy of a magnitude 5.0.
Tectonic setting
235 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
9 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 100 km
USGS lists 3 M2.5+ earthquakes within 100 km in the following 30 days; the largest was M5.0 on July 23, 1976. 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 109 M5.0+ earthquakes within 300 km before this one (catalog from 1900; older records are less complete). The strongest:
- 7.637 km S of Sarupathar, IndiaJanuary 27, 1931 · 229 km NW of this epicenter
- 7.362 km S of Bhamo, MyanmarFebruary 17, 1905 · 197 km SW of this epicenter
- 7.399 km E of Lashio, MyanmarJune 22, 1923 · 219 km S of this epicenter
- 7.264 km NNE of Sarupathar, IndiaDecember 12, 1908 · 267 km NW of this epicenter
- 7.0152 km ENE of Bhamo, MyanmarMay 29, 1976 · 28 km S of this epicenter
- 6.980 km N of Kēng Tung, MyanmarDecember 26, 1941 · 294 km SE of this epicenter
- 6.9169 km SW of Dali, ChinaMay 29, 1976 · 35 km SE of this epicenter
- 6.824 km NE of Dali, ChinaMarch 16, 1925 · 200 km NE of this epicenter
History · NOAA
Deadliest earthquakes in this area
NOAA’s significant-earthquake database lists 36 damaging, deadly or tsunami-generating earthquakes within 300 km of this epicenter since 1700, which together caused about 7,348 recorded deaths. The most severe:
- 1925M6.9
Yunnan Province: Talifu
16 Mar 1925 · 200 km away
5,800 deathsExtreme damage ($25M+)
- 1751M6.8
Yunnan Province
25 May 1751 · 226 km away · intensity IX
900 deathsExtreme damage ($25M+)
- 1803M6.0
Yunnan Province
1 Feb 1803 · 212 km away · intensity VIII
200 deathsModerate damage ($1–5M)
- 1839M6.0
Yunnan Province
23 Feb 1839 · 190 km away · intensity VIII
129 deathsModerate damage ($1–5M)
- 1948M6.8
Yunnan Province
27 Jun 1948 · 206 km away · intensity VIII
110 deathsModerate damage ($1–5M)
- 1839M6.0
Yunnan Province
7 Feb 1839 · 190 km away · intensity VIII
100 deathsModerate damage ($1–5M)
NOAA NCEI Global Significant Earthquake Database. Historical figures are estimates; older records are incomplete.