A shallow MAG-4.6 earthquake struck under land 139 kilometer from Aksu in China in the afternoon of Friday April 12th, 2024. Other nearby countries are Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan.
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Earthquake Summary
The earthquake struck on land in China, 139 kilometer (86 mi) west of Aksu in Xinjiang. The center of this earthquake had a very shallow depth of 4 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.
| Date and Time: | Apr 12, 2024 14:13 (Urumqi Time) - Apr 12, 2024 08:13 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 139 km west of Aksu, Xinjiang, China. Coordinates 41°9'43"N 78°36'59"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 4.6 Detected by 18 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.073 . |
| Depth: | 4 km (3 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
China , Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan are all located within 300km distance of the epicenter of the earthquake.
Aksu in Xinjiang, China is the nearest significant place from the epicenter. The earthquake occurred 139 kilometer (86 mi) west of Aksu.
Multiple large cities are in proximity of today's earthquake. Almaty is located 271 km to the north-northwest. Aksu is located 139 km to the east. Kashgar is located 291 km to the southwest.
A complete list of nearby places is included below.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 139 km (86 mi) E from epicenter |
Aksu Xinjiang, China. |
| 141 km (88 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Kyzyl-Suu Issyk-Kul, Kyrgyzstan. |
| 149 km (93 mi) N from epicenter |
Karakol Issyk-Kul, Kyrgyzstan. |
| 149 km (93 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Tumxuk Xinjiang, China. |
| 209 km (130 mi) NW from epicenter |
Cholpon-Ata Issyk-Kul, Kyrgyzstan. |
| 221 km (137 mi) W from epicenter |
Naryn Naryn, Kyrgyzstan. |
| 233 km (145 mi) ESE from epicenter |
Aral Xinjiang, China. |
| 236 km (147 mi) W from epicenter |
At-Bashi Naryn, Kyrgyzstan. |
| 248 km (154 mi) NW from epicenter |
Balykchy Issyk-Kul, Kyrgyzstan. |
| 262 km (163 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Esik Almaty Oblysy, Kazakhstan. |
| 264 km (164 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Talghar Almaty Oblysy, Kazakhstan. |
| 271 km (168 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Almaty Almaty, Kazakhstan. |
| 273 km (170 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Dunbage Xinjiang, China. |
| 280 km (174 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Huangdi Xinjiang, China. |
| 283 km (176 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Otegen Batyra Almaty Oblysy, Kazakhstan. |
| 284 km (176 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Burunday Almaty Oblysy, Kazakhstan. |
| 291 km (181 mi) SW from epicenter |
Kashgar Xinjiang, China. |
| 293 km (182 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Elixku Xinjiang, China. |
| 295 km (183 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Azhatebage Xinjiang, China. |
Shaking reported by 1 person
People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 1 person has reported shaking in one place in Kazakhstan.We keep updating this article as more ground reports become available. You may report that you felt this earthquake here.
Places with most reports:
- Almaty, Almaty, Kazakhstan: 1 person.
2 Aftershocks detected
This main shock was followed by 2 smaller aftershocks. At a distance of 25 km (15 mi) north of this earthquake, an aftershock struck 2 days later. It measured a magnitude of 4.6
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main Shock This Earthquake |
M 4.6 |
Apr 12, 2024 14:13 (Urumqi Time) | - |
| Aftershock | M 4.1 |
21 hrs later Apr 13, 2024 11:32 (Urumqi Time) | 23 km (14 mi) NE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.6 |
2 days later Apr 14, 2024 19:51 (Urumqi Time) | 25 km (15 mi) N from Main Shock. |
More earthquakes coming?
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.
In only six percent of cases, significant earthquakes are followed by a larger main shock, making the current earthquake a foreshock. While the chance of this happening is not so large, it is adviced to maintain cautiousness in the hours and days following a major 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. This is the strongest earthquake to hit since March 6th, 2024, when a 5.1 magnitude earthquake hit 19 km (12 mi) further north-northeast. An even stronger magnitude 7 earthquake struck on January 22nd, 2024.
In total, 95 earthquakes with a magnitude of 4.6 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 month.
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 4.6. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 4 km (3 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 29/04/24 09:18 (). 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 us7000mbm1
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20240412_0000080
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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