Earthquake Catalog for China Spanning 4,324 Years

Qing Wu compiled a catalog of 16,403 earthquakes with magnitude M≥4.7 recorded from 2300 BC to 2024 AD. The dataset was systematically compiled from multiple local, regional, and international sources and covers China and adjacent zones from 65°E to 141°E and 3°N to 57°N. It supports seismic activity characterization and potential seismic source zone identification for developing China's new-generation seismic zonation map.

Use Cases

• Characterize regional seismic activity based on the catalog's 4,324-year temporal span
• Identify potential seismic source zones based on the inclusion of earthquake clusters and foreshock-aftershock sequences
• Model ground motion parameters for seismic zonation based on the foundational dataset of M≥4.7 events
• Analyze historical seismicity patterns across China and adjacent zones based on the defined longitudinal and latitudinal extents

Strengths

• Contains 16,403 recorded earthquakes, providing a substantial historical record
• Covers a long temporal span of 4,324 years, from 2300 BC to 2024 AD
• Systematically compiled from multiple local, regional, and international sources
• Incorporates earthquake clusters to retain seismicity patterns

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment
• Data may reflect geographic or source bias inherent to the compilation methodology

Provenance

Source

Qing Wu

Collection Method

Systematically compiled from multiple local, regional, and international sources

Time Range

2300 BC to 2024 AD

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-18 08:11:44

Geography

China and adjacent zones (65°E–141°E, 3°N–57°N)