An unusually powerful MAG-5.1 earthquake struck under land 37 kilometer from Dalandzadgad in Mongolia in the late afternoon of Friday March 21st, 2025. Another nearby country is China.
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Earthquake Summary
The earthquake struck on land in Mongolia, 37 kilometer (23 mi) west-southwest of Dalandzadgad in Ömnögovĭ. The center of this earthquake had a very shallow depth of 10 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.
| Date and Time: | Mar 21, 2025 17:33 (Ulaanbaatar Time) - Mar 21, 2025 09:33 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 37 km WSW of Dalandzadgad, Ömnögovĭ, Mongolia. Coordinates 43°23'29"N 104°2'10"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.1 Detected by 160 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.045 . |
| Depth: | 10 km (6 mi) A very shallow depth. |
| Tsunami Risk: | Tsunami very unlikely While this was a shallow earthquake, it appears to have occurred under land with a magnitude not strong enough to cause tsunami's. Always stay cautious - More info here. |
Nearby towns and cities
Mongolia and China are both located within 300km distance of the epicenter of the earthquake.
Located 37 kilometer (23 mi) west-southwest of the epicenter of this earthquake, Dalandzadgad (Ömnögovĭ, Mongolia) is the nearest significant population center.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 37 km (23 mi) ENE from epicenter |
Dalandzadgad Ömnögovĭ, Mongolia. |
| 206 km (128 mi) NW from epicenter |
Hovd Övörhangay, Mongolia. |
| 290 km (180 mi) SW from epicenter |
Dalain Hob Inner Mongolia, China. |
Risk of aftershocks?
This earthquake did not have any significant foreshocks nor aftershocks occurring within 100km (62 mi) of its epicenter.
Aftershocks are usually at least 1 order of magnitude less strong than main shocks. The more time passes, the smaller the chance and likely strength of any potential aftershocks.
It's always adviced to be cautious of the risk of a larger shock following any significant earthquake, however this risk is fairly small. There is a roughly 94 percent change that no larger main shock will follow in the days following this earthquake.
Read: How to Stay Safe during an Earthquake (cdc.gov).This is an unusually powerful earthquake
No earthquake of this strength has struck this region for a long time. Our data goes back 10 years, and no earthquakes measuring a magnitude of 5.1 or higher have been detected within 300 km (186 mi) of this epicenter.
Tsunami very unlikely
While MAG-6.5+ earthquakes may cause tsunami's, it appears that the epicenter of this earthquake hit under land. In addition, the reported depth is deeper than 100km, making the risk of a tsunami even less likely. However always stay cautious and monitor advice from local authorities.
Tsunami Risk Factors
| Factor | Under Sea? | MAG-6.5 or stronger? | Shallow depth? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Explanation | Almost all tsunami's are caused by earthquakes with their epicenter under sea or very near the sea. However stay cautious in coastal areas as earthquakes on land may cause landslides into sea, potentially still causing a local tsunami. | Under MAG 6.5: Very unlikely to cause a tsunami. MAG 6.5 to 7.5: Destructive tsunami's do occur, but are uncommon. Likely to observe small sea level changes. MAG 7.6+: Earthquakes with these magnitudes might produce destructive tsunami's. |
Most destructive tsunami's are caused by shallow earthquakes with a depth between 0 and 100km under the surface of the earth. Deeper tsunami's are unlikely to displace to ocean floor. |
| This Earthquake | Not this earthquake. This earthquake appears to have struck on land far from any coast. |
Not this earthquake. This earthquake had a magnitude of 5.1. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 10 km (6 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 24/03/25 03:28 (). As more information on this earthquake becomes available this article will be updated. This article is automatically composed based on data originating from multiple sources.
- US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us7000pljf
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20250321_0000087
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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