Under land 125 kilometer from Kuqa in China, a shallow and significant MAG-5.1 earthquake occurred in the afternoon of Saturday October 26th, 2024.
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Earthquake Summary
The earthquake struck on land in China, 125 kilometer (78 mi) south-east of Kuqa 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 26, 2024 14:35 (Urumqi Time) - Oct 26, 2024 08:35 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 125 km SE of Kuqa, Xinjiang, China. Coordinates 40°56'28"N 84°0'31"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.1 Detected by 152 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.046 . |
| 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 may have been felt in China . The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Kuqa in Xinjiang, China. Kuqa is located 125 kilometer (78 mi) south-east of the epicenter.
Multiple major population centers exist within 300km of the earthquake that struck today. Korla is located 201 km to the east-northeast. Aral is located 235 km to the west. Xinyuan is located 283 km to the north-northwest.
A complete list of nearby places is included below.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 125 km (78 mi) NW from epicenter |
Kuqa Xinjiang, China. |
| 201 km (125 mi) ENE from epicenter |
Korla Xinjiang, China. |
| 235 km (146 mi) W from epicenter |
Aral Xinjiang, China. |
| 283 km (176 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Xinyuan Xinjiang, China. |
Risk of aftershocks?
We have not yet detected any foreshocks or aftershocks (MAG-2.5 or higher) within 100km (62 mi) of this earthquake.
The risk of aftershocks decreases rapidly over time. Usually, aftershocks are at least one order of magnitude lower than a main shock.
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 are common in the region
Earthquakes of this strength occur quite regularly in the region. This is the strongest earthquake to hit since April 10th, 2024, when a 5.4 magnitude earthquake hit 159 km (99 mi) further northwest. An even stronger magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck on January 29th, 2023.
In total, 5 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.1 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 2 years.
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 5.1. 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 20/11/24 11:58 (). 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 us7000nnak
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20241026_0000059
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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