M 6.1 - 25 km NW of Dali, China
- 2021-05-21 13:48:37 (UTC)
- 25.727°N 100.008°E
- 9.0 km depth
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ORANGE Estimated Economic Losses Estimated Fatalities Ground Failure - Landslide Estimate
Significant area affected
Limited population exposed
- Liquefaction Estimate
Little or no area affected
Limited population exposed
Origin - Review Status
- REVIEWED
- Magnitude
- 6.1 mww
- Depth
- 9.0 km
- Time
- 2021-05-21 13:48:37 UTC
Moment Tensor Fault Plane Solution View Nearby Seismicity - Time Range
± Three Weeks - Search Radius
250.0 km - Magnitude Range
≥ 3.0
Contributors US
USGS National Earthquake Information Center, PDE
Tectonic Summary
The May 21, 2021 M6.1 earthquake in south-central China near the cities of Dali and Lijiang occurred as the result of strike-slip faulting at relatively shallow depths. The earthquake occurred on either a southeast striking right-lateral fault, or on a southwest striking left-lateral fault. The regional geologic context is consistent with right-lateral strike slip motion. The earthquake occurred within a broad zone of strike-slip faults that demark, in part, the boundary between the Eurasia and India plates. These seismically active strike-slip faults and smaller faults in their vicinity produce frequent, yet often moderate (smaller than M7.0) earthquakes. In the past century, 24 earthquakes of M6.0 or greater have occurred within 250 km of the May 21 earthquake, with one of those earthquakes (May 29, 1976) being M7.0. The most recent moderate magnitude earthquake in this region occurred on August 30, 2008 (M6.0). The August 2008 M6.0 earthquake led to extensive regional damage and at least 43 fatalities. Other earthquakes in this region with similar magnitudes have led to tens to hundreds of fatalities. The steep regional topography can also lead to earthquake shaking-induced landslides and liquefaction (ground failure).
Generally, strike-slip faults and earthquakes in south-central China result from the southeastward motion of the Earth's crust that is driven by the collision of the Indian and Eurasian continental plates beneath the Himalaya Mountains and the Tibetan Plateau farther to the west. The Tibetan Plateau exhibits east-west oriented extension, as evidenced by faults, earthquake normal faulting mechanisms, and geodetic observations. The extension of the Tibetan Plateau is further accommodated by extrusion of crustal material southward in south-central China along the strike-slip faults where the May 21 earthquake occurred.