A 5.5 magnitude earthquake struck Qinghai province in China on Wednesday, with its epicenter located in Madoi county, near the source of the Yellow River, which serves as a crucial waterway for northern China. The earthquake hit at 3:44 p.m. local time (0844 GMT), at a depth of 14 km (8.7 miles), according to the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC).
The quake occurred in the Golog prefecture, approximately 200 km west of the county seat of Madoi. This area, primarily populated by Tibetan communities, has experienced significant seismic activity in recent years, with Madoi itself being located in the seismically active Qinghai-Tibetan plateau. Over the past five years, CENC has recorded 102 earthquakes of magnitude 3 or higher within a 200 km radius of Wednesday’s tremor, including a 7.4 magnitude quake in 2021.
This earthquake follows a series of seismic events in the region, including a deadly 6.8 magnitude earthquake in Tibet on Tuesday and a smaller 3.1 magnitude quake in Sichuan. While earthquakes are common in this part of China, particularly along the edges of the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau, the area continues to remain under close observation for potential aftershocks.
