Under land 153 kilometer from Aksu in China, a shallow and significant MAG-5.2 earthquake occurred in the night of Thursday October 17th, 2024. Other countries near the epicenter include Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan.
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Earthquake Summary
The earthquake struck on land in China, 153 kilometer (95 mi) west of Aksu 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: | Oct 17, 2024 04:23 (Urumqi Time) - Oct 16, 2024 22:23 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 153 km west of Aksu, Xinjiang, China. Coordinates 40°57'26"N 78°28'57"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.2 Detected by 105 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.056 . |
| 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
3 countries can be found within 300km of the epicenter of this earthquake: China , Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan .
The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Tumxuk in Xinjiang, China. Tumxuk is located 130 kilometer (81 mi) north-northwest of the epicenter.
Major cities near this earthquake: Almaty is located 286 km to the north-northwest. Aksu is located 153 km to the east. Kashgar is located 269 km to the southwest.
The table below provides an overview of all places in proximity of today's earthquake.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 130 km (81 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Tumxuk Xinjiang, China. |
| 153 km (95 mi) E from epicenter |
Aksu Xinjiang, China. |
| 159 km (99 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Kyzyl-Suu Issyk-Kul, Kyrgyzstan. |
| 171 km (106 mi) N from epicenter |
Karakol Issyk-Kul, Kyrgyzstan. |
| 215 km (134 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Naryn Naryn, Kyrgyzstan. |
| 221 km (137 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Cholpon-Ata Issyk-Kul, Kyrgyzstan. |
| 226 km (140 mi) W from epicenter |
At-Bashi Naryn, Kyrgyzstan. |
| 239 km (149 mi) E from epicenter |
Aral Xinjiang, China. |
| 248 km (154 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Dunbage Xinjiang, China. |
| 253 km (157 mi) NW from epicenter |
Balykchy Issyk-Kul, Kyrgyzstan. |
| 255 km (158 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Huangdi Xinjiang, China. |
| 267 km (166 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Elixku Xinjiang, China. |
| 269 km (167 mi) SW from epicenter |
Kashgar Xinjiang, China. |
| 270 km (168 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Azhatebage Xinjiang, China. |
| 277 km (172 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Awati Xinjiang, China. |
| 278 km (173 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Alamaiti Xinjiang, China. |
| 279 km (173 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Kuoshi'airike Xinjiang, China. |
| 280 km (174 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Esik Almaty Oblysy, Kazakhstan. |
| 280 km (174 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Talghar Almaty Oblysy, Kazakhstan. |
| 286 km (178 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Bage'awati Xinjiang, China. |
| 286 km (178 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Almaty Almaty, Kazakhstan. |
| 288 km (179 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Tage'erqi Xinjiang, China. |
| 289 km (180 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Paikeqi Xinjiang, China. |
| 291 km (181 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Baishikante Xinjiang, China. |
| 296 km (184 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Yishikuli Xinjiang, China. |
| 298 km (185 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Mixia Xinjiang, China. |
| 299 km (186 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Burunday Almaty Oblysy, Kazakhstan. |
| 299 km (186 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Otegen Batyra Almaty Oblysy, Kazakhstan. |
Shaking reported by 2 people
People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 2 people have 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: 2 people.
Risk of aftershocks?
We have not yet detected any foreshocks or aftershocks (MAG-2.5 or higher) within 100km (62 mi) of this earthquake.
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.
The chance that a significant earthquake like this one is followed by an even larger earthquake is not so large. On average, scientists estimate a 94% chance that a major earthquake will not be followed by an even larger one. It is still adviced to be aware of this risk
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 February 25th, 2024, when a 5.4 magnitude earthquake hit 29 km (18 mi) further north. An even stronger magnitude 7 earthquake struck on January 22nd, 2024.
In total, 17 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.2 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 7 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 5.2. 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 18/10/24 01:58 (). This article contains currently available information about the earthquake and is automatically composed. We continue to update this article up to a few days after the earthquake occurred.
- US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us6000nz72
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20241016_0000367
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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