killed 7 people, and caused much damage in central Yunnan Province.
The quake was moderate, with a magnitude of 5.9; however, it left 2,528 injured, 92,479 homeless and destroyed over 41,000 homes.[1]
It was preceded by a magnitude 5.5 foreshock at 22:09 on the same day.
Tectonic setting
Yunnan lies within the area affected by the continuing collision between the
strike-slip faults on its eastern margin and right lateral strike-slip faults to the west.[2]
Earthquake
The earthquake sequence started with two foreshocks at 22:09 (M5.5) and 22:23 (M3.9) on January 14.[3] The mainshock, which occurred soon afterwards at 23:37, had an estimated magnitude of 5.9 Mw (ANSS), 6.0 Mw or 6.5 Ms.[4] It was followed within the hour by a 4.5 Mw aftershock.
Based on the aftershock distribution, the earthquake was the result of rupture along a fault with a
strike of N50°W. The causative fault was most likely the right lateral Maweiqing fault, one of the faults that forms the western boundary of the Sichuan-Yunnan block.[4][2]