The United States Geological Survey recorded a Magnitude 5.0 Earthquake at a depth of 18.5 km in Qingchuan County in northern Sichuan Province, China, slightly before 7.55 am local time on Tuesday 10 June 2014 (slightly before 11.55 pm on Monday 9 June GMT). The quake was felt as far away as the city of Chengdu, about 250 km to the southwest of the epicenter, but there are no reports of any damage or casualties.
The approximate location of the 10 June 2014 Qingchuan County Earthquake. Google Maps.
Much of western China and neighbouring areas of Central Asia and the Himalayas, are prone to Earthquakes caused by the impact of the Indian Plate into Eurasia from the south. The Indian Plate is moving northwards at a rate of 5 cm per year, causing it to impact into Eurasia, which is also moving northward, but only at a rate of 2 cm per year. When two tectonic plates collide in this way and one or both are oceanic then one will be subducted beneath the other (if one of the plates is continental then the other will be subducted), but if both plates are continental then subduction will not fully occur, but instead the plates will crumple, leading to folding and uplift (and quite a lot of Earthquakes). The collision of the Indian and Eurasian plates has lead to the formation of the Himalayan Mountains, the Tibetan Plateau, and the mountains of southwest China, Central Asia and the Hindu Kush.
See also...
The United States Geological Survey recorded a Magnitude 4.7 Earthquake at a depth of 10.2 km, 109 km to the southwest of the...
The United States Geological Survey recorded a Magnitude 4.7 Earthquake at a depth of 28.6 km in the Liangshan Yi Autonomous...
The United States Geological Survey recorded a Magnitude 5.0 Earthquake at a depth of 10 km, roughly 32 km to the northwest of...
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