In the night of Wednesday November 8th, 2023, a shallow Magnitude 4.8 aftershock hit under land 187 kilometer from Kashgar in China. Another nearby country is Kyrgyzstan.
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Earthquake Summary
The earthquake struck on land in China, 187 kilometer (116 mi) north-east of Kashgar in Xinjiang. 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: | Nov 8, 2023 00:52 (Urumqi Time) - Nov 7, 2023 18:52 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 187 km NE of Kashgar, Xinjiang, China. Coordinates 40°31'46"N 77°41'36"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 4.8 Detected by 130 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.051 . |
| 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
This earthquake struck within proximity of multiple countries. China and Kyrgyzstan are both within 300km distance of its epicenter.
Located 137 kilometer (85 mi) west-northwest of the epicenter of this earthquake, Tumxuk (Xinjiang, China) is the nearest significant population center.
Multiple major population centers exist within 300km of the earthquake that struck today. Kashgar is located 187 km to the southwest. Aksu is located 229 km to the east-northeast. Tumxuk is located 137 km to the east-southeast.
The table below provides an overview of all places in proximity of today's earthquake.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 137 km (85 mi) ESE from epicenter |
Tumxuk Xinjiang, China. |
| 174 km (108 mi) WNW from epicenter |
At-Bashi Naryn, Kyrgyzstan. |
| 174 km (108 mi) NW from epicenter |
Naryn Naryn, Kyrgyzstan. |
| 187 km (116 mi) S from epicenter |
Dunbage Xinjiang, China. |
| 187 km (116 mi) SW from epicenter |
Kashgar Xinjiang, China. |
| 192 km (119 mi) S from epicenter |
Huangdi Xinjiang, China. |
| 203 km (126 mi) N from epicenter |
Kyzyl-Suu Issyk-Kul, Kyrgyzstan. |
| 204 km (127 mi) S from epicenter |
Elixku Xinjiang, China. |
| 209 km (130 mi) S from epicenter |
Azhatebage Xinjiang, China. |
| 215 km (134 mi) S from epicenter |
Kuoshi'airike Xinjiang, China. |
| 215 km (134 mi) S from epicenter |
Awati Xinjiang, China. |
| 217 km (135 mi) S from epicenter |
Alamaiti Xinjiang, China. |
| 224 km (139 mi) S from epicenter |
Paikeqi Xinjiang, China. |
| 224 km (139 mi) S from epicenter |
Tage'erqi Xinjiang, China. |
| 226 km (140 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Karakol Issyk-Kul, Kyrgyzstan. |
| 227 km (141 mi) S from epicenter |
Bage'awati Xinjiang, China. |
| 229 km (142 mi) ENE from epicenter |
Aksu Xinjiang, China. |
| 231 km (144 mi) S from epicenter |
Yishikuli Xinjiang, China. |
| 231 km (144 mi) S from epicenter |
Baishikante Xinjiang, China. |
| 234 km (145 mi) S from epicenter |
Mixia Xinjiang, China. |
| 238 km (148 mi) S from epicenter |
Shache Xinjiang, China. |
| 239 km (149 mi) S from epicenter |
Gulebage Xinjiang, China. |
| 241 km (150 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Cholpon-Ata Issyk-Kul, Kyrgyzstan. |
| 241 km (150 mi) S from epicenter |
Arele Xinjiang, China. |
| 244 km (152 mi) S from epicenter |
Tuomuwusitang Xinjiang, China. |
| 244 km (152 mi) S from epicenter |
Yigai'erqi Xinjiang, China. |
| 246 km (153 mi) S from epicenter |
Wudalike Xinjiang, China. |
| 247 km (153 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Qarek Xinjiang, China. |
| 249 km (155 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Balykchy Issyk-Kul, Kyrgyzstan. |
| 263 km (163 mi) S from epicenter |
Zepu Xinjiang, China. |
| 292 km (181 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Kaqun Xinjiang, China. |
This is likely an aftershock
This earthquake was an aftershock. A larger mag. 5.3 earthquake struck 1.5 km (1 mi) east-southeast in advance of this 4.8 earthquake around 42 mins earlier.
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main Shock | M 5.3 |
Nov 8, 2023 00:09 (Urumqi Time) | - |
| Aftershock | M 4.8 |
5 mins later Nov 8, 2023 00:15 (Urumqi Time) | 11 km (7 mi) E from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.3 |
22 mins later Nov 8, 2023 00:31 (Urumqi Time) | 12 km (7 mi) ENE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.5 |
22 mins later Nov 8, 2023 00:31 (Urumqi Time) | 18 km (11 mi) SSE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock This Earthquake |
M 4.8 |
42 mins later Nov 8, 2023 00:52 (Urumqi Time) | 1.5 km (0.9 mi) WNW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.3 |
1 hr later Nov 8, 2023 01:34 (Urumqi Time) | 19 km (12 mi) ESE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.1 |
2 hrs later Nov 8, 2023 01:46 (Urumqi Time) | 2.8 km (1.7 mi) E from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 2.9 |
2 hrs later Nov 8, 2023 01:59 (Urumqi Time) | 38 km (23 mi) NW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 2.8 |
6 hrs later Nov 8, 2023 05:54 (Urumqi Time) | 60 km (37 mi) NNW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.2 |
17 hrs later Nov 8, 2023 17:14 (Urumqi Time) | 10 km (6 mi) ESE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.1 |
19 hrs later Nov 8, 2023 19:04 (Urumqi Time) | 52 km (32 mi) NNW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.4 |
21 hrs later Nov 8, 2023 21:34 (Urumqi Time) | 12 km (8 mi) ESE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 2.6 |
1 day later Nov 9, 2023 05:03 (Urumqi Time) | 48 km (30 mi) N from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 2.5 |
1 day later Nov 9, 2023 08:50 (Urumqi Time) | 64 km (40 mi) N from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.3 |
2 days later Nov 10, 2023 08:02 (Urumqi Time) | 18 km (11 mi) NE from Main Shock. |
More earthquakes coming?
Earthquakes can create aftershocks. These are generally at least 1 magnitude lower than any main shock, and as time passes the chance and strength of aftershocks decreases.
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).Earthquakes like this happen often in the region
Earthquakes of this strength are very common in the region. In total, 41 earthquakes with a magnitude of 4.8 or higher have been registered within 300km (186 mi) of this epicenter in the past 10 years. This comes down to an average of once every 3 months.
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 4.8. 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 08/12/23 23:18 (). 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 us7000l9el
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20231107_0000217
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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