M4.3 Earthquake near Damusi, China — 14 March 2025
A light earthquake of magnitude 4.3 was recorded near Damusi, China on , with an epicentre 99 km west-northwest of Damusi, at a focal depth of 143.6 km. It ranked as the 6th strongest of 5 earthquakes recorded in China in the preceding 30 days.
Time (UTC): 2025-03-14 01:26:39
Time (your timezone): —
Magnitude: 4.3 (light)
Focal depth: 143.6 km (intermediate)
Epicentre: 38.1210, 75.5775
Location: 99 km WNW of Damusi, China
Country: China
USGS link to NOAA tsunami information: Not linked
Review status: Reviewed
Source: USGS event page
How strong was this earthquake?
Light earthquakes are widely felt near the epicentre and can rattle windows, dishes and hanging objects. Damage is uncommon and usually limited to cracked plaster or fallen loose items.
A magnitude 4.3 earthquake radiates roughly 43 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.
The USGS assigns this earthquake a significance score of 284, which is below the USGS threshold of more than 600 for its significant-earthquake list. The ranking combines magnitude with available Did You Feel It responses and PAGER alert level; it is not a direct measurement of damage.
What the magnitude scale actually measures →
When it happened locally
That is about 06:28 local solar time at the epicentre, around dawn.
This event was deeper than 100% of the 279 earthquakes recorded in China in our catalogue and stronger than 13% of them.
Where was the epicentre?
The epicentre was located at 38.1210, 75.5775 — 99 km west-northwest of Damusi. The closest other recorded event was a magnitude 4.8 earthquake 21 km north-northwest of here on 06 November 2025.
The nearest other settlements in our records are 库科西鲁格乡 قوغۇشلۇق يېزىسى (40 km south), Huoshilafu (94 km east-southeast), Murghob (121 km southwest) and 乌鲁木齐 (141 km south-southwest).
Why the 144 km depth matters
At 144 km this was an intermediate-depth earthquake. Energy from events at this depth spreads out before it reaches the surface, which usually means weaker shaking near the epicentre than a shallow quake of the same magnitude, but shaking felt across a wider area.
This catalogue does not ingest eyewitness responses, so it cannot confirm where this earthquake was felt. Based on magnitude alone, an event this size is often felt across the surrounding area. Its intermediate depth normally reduces peak shaking near the epicentre compared with a shallow event of the same magnitude.
Read more on how focal depth changes what you feel →
What does the tsunami information flag mean?
The USGS record does not carry a link to NOAA tsunami information. That field is not an all-clear and does not state whether a tsunami occurred. In this case, a damaging tsunami would be less likely because at M4.3 it falls below the magnitude 6.5 threshold that generally applies before a submarine earthquake displaces enough water to generate a damaging tsunami; its 144 km focal depth is too great to deform the sea floor significantly; it occurred inland rather than beneath the sea floor. For an active coastal alert, use tsunami.gov or your local warning authority.
How earthquakes generate tsunamis, and what the alert levels mean →
Aftershocks and local seismic history
No further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event.
36 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 5.9 event near Barishal on 19 January 2026. This M4.3 event released about 251 times less energy than that event.
3 earthquakes have been recorded within 100 km of this epicentre in the past year, 0 of them in the past 30 days.
How long aftershock sequences last, and how large they get →
Where this event sits in the record
This earthquake is part of the March 2025 worldwide record, and of earthquakes in China during March 2025. Browse the full monthly archive to compare periods.
Nearest recorded earthquakes to this epicentre
- M4.8 earthquake near Damusi, China — (21 km NNW)
- M4.2 earthquake near 乌鲁木齐, China — (29 km N)
- M4.7 earthquake near Murghob, Tajikistan — (66 km NNW)
- M4.9 earthquake near Huoshilafu, China — (78 km E)
- M4.4 earthquake near Murghob, Tajikistan — (78 km W)
- M4.4 earthquake near Damusi, China — (80 km SSE)
- M4.4 earthquake near Murghob, Tajikistan — (86 km WSW)
- M4.5 earthquake near Murghob, Tajikistan — (92 km W)
- M4.5 earthquake near Huoshilafu, China — (94 km ESE)
- M4.7 earthquake near Barishal, Pakistan — (118 km S)
Other recent earthquakes in China
- M4.6 earthquake near Jiyuan, China —
- M5.2 earthquake near Dunhuang, China —
- M5.4 earthquake near Jiangyou, China —
- M4.6 earthquake near Aksu, China —
- M4.9 earthquake near Aksu, China —
- M5.0 earthquake near Fuji, China —
- M4.9 earthquake near Bowangshan, China —
- M5.2 earthquake near Dunhuang, China —
- M4.7 earthquake near Dunhuang, China —
- M4.5 earthquake near Dunhuang, China —
Other magnitude 4 earthquakes worldwide
- M4.4 earthquake near Longyearbyen, Norway —
- M4.5 earthquake near False Pass, United States —
- M4.3 earthquake near Gorontalo, Indonesia —
- M4.0 earthquake near Glacier View, United States —
- M4.1 earthquake near Camiña, Chile —
- M4.2 earthquake near Brisas Barra de Suchiate, Mexico —
- M4.4 earthquake near Palu, Indonesia —
- M4.0 earthquake near Port Clarence, United States —
Questions about this earthquake
How strong was the earthquake near Damusi?
It measured magnitude 4.3 — a light earthquake. A magnitude 4.3 earthquake radiates roughly 43 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.
How deep was the earthquake near Damusi?
The focus was 144 km below the surface, which counts as intermediate.
Was the Damusi earthquake felt at the surface?
At magnitude 4.3 and a focal depth of 144 km, the depth spreads the energy out, so shaking is weaker overhead but reaches further.
When did the earthquake near Damusi happen?
14 March 2025 at 01:26 UTC.
Was there a tsunami?
No. The USGS record carries no tsunami-information link for this event.
Have there been aftershocks?
No further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event.
How often do earthquakes happen near Damusi?
36 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 5.9 event near Barishal on 19 January 2026. This M4.3 event released about 251 times less energy than that event.