Reviewed by USGSChina18y ago
M5.0 earthquake 66 km NNE of Jiangyou, China
Monday, December 29, 2008, 06:18:22 UTC · 32.275°N, 105.098°E
A magnitude 5.0 earthquake struck 66 km NNE of Jiangyou, China on Monday, December 29, 2008, 06:18:22 UTC, at a depth of 10.0 km (shallow). USGS received 26 “Did You Feel It?” reports, with a maximum reported intensity of IV (light). It is the strongest earthquake within 300 km since an M5.1 on December 9, 2008.
- Magnitude
- 5.0
- Moderate · mb
- Depth
- 10 km
- Shallow
- Felt reports
- 26
- Max intensity IV
- Est. shaking
- —
- No ShakeMap
- PAGER alert
- None
- Not issued
- Tsunami
- No flag
- USGS feed
Outlined circle: this earthquakeDashed circle: 75 km aftershock search area
In context
How big was it, and why here?
Energy released
477 tons of TNT
That is about 1/32 of the Hiroshima bomb. Each whole step in magnitude is about 32 times more energy.
Tectonic setting
342 km
from the nearest mapped plate boundary, between the Eurasian and Yangtze plates. Earthquakes this far from a boundary happen on faults inside a plate, often less frequently but sometimes strongly.
Depth: shallow
10 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
Reports sent by people to USGS, grouped by place (most reports first). Intensity uses the Modified Mercalli scale (I–X): what people felt, not the magnitude.
| Place | Intensity | Reports | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chengdu, Sichuan, China | III · Weak | 19 | 203 km |
| Mianyang, Sichuan, China | IV · Light | 3 | 95 km |
| Chongqing, Chongqing, China | III · Weak | 3 | 331 km |
| Heyang, Chongqing, China | II · Weak | 1 | 276 km |
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 M4.5 on January 6, 2009. 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 99 M5.0+ earthquakes within 300 km before this one (catalog from 1900; older records are less complete). The strongest:
- 7.958 km W of Tianpeng, ChinaMay 12, 2008 · 220 km SW of this epicenter
- 7.4101 km WNW of Jiangyou, ChinaAugust 25, 1933 · 139 km W of this epicenter
- 6.9121 km NNW of Jiangyou, ChinaAugust 16, 1976 · 103 km NW of this epicenter
- 6.794 km NNW of Jiangyou, ChinaAugust 23, 1976 · 89 km W of this epicenter
- 6.499 km NNW of Jiangyou, ChinaAugust 21, 1976 · 86 km NW of this epicenter
- 6.3146 km NW of Jiangyou, ChinaNovember 9, 1960 · 146 km W of this epicenter
- 6.261 km S of Tianshui, ChinaAugust 1, 1936 · 204 km N of this epicenter
- 6.1127 km WNW of Jiangyou, ChinaMarch 14, 1938 · 155 km W of this epicenter
History · NOAA
Deadliest earthquakes in this area
NOAA’s significant-earthquake database lists 33 damaging, deadly or tsunami-generating earthquakes within 300 km of this epicenter since 1700, which together caused about 121,784 recorded deaths. The most severe:
- 2008M7.9
Sichuan Province
12 May 2008 · 216 km away · intensity IX
87,652 deaths$86 billion damagetsunami
- 1879M8.0
Gansu Province
1 Jul 1879 · 109 km away · intensity XI
22,000 deathsExtreme damage ($25M+)
- 1933M7.4
Sichuan Province
25 Aug 1933 · 139 km away · intensity X
9,300 deathsExtreme damage ($25M+)
- 1765M6.5
Gansu Province: Wushan, Gangu
2 Sep 1765 · 281 km away · intensity IX
2,068 deathsExtreme damage ($25M+)
- 1881M6.5
Gansu Province
20 Jul 1881 · 154 km away · intensity VIII
480 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)
- 1936M6.0
Gansu Province
1 Aug 1936 · 221 km away · intensity VIII
115 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)
NOAA NCEI Global Significant Earthquake Database. Historical figures are estimates; older records are incomplete.