In the early afternoon of Thursday April 2nd, 2026, a shallow and significant MAG-5.2 earthquake hit under land 62 kilometer from Ürümqi in China. The earthquake struck near a very densely populated region.
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Earthquake Summary
The earthquake struck on land in China, 62 kilometer (39 mi) south of Ürümqi 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: | Apr 2, 2026 13:39 (Urumqi Time) - Apr 2, 2026 07:39 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 62 km south of Ürümqi, Xinjiang, China. Coordinates 43°15'26"N 87°47'7"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.2 Detected by 158 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 . Located 62 kilometer (39 mi) south of the epicenter of this earthquake, Ürümqi (Xinjiang, China) is the nearest significant population center.
Multiple large cities are in proximity of today's earthquake. Ürümqi is located 62 km to the north. Shihezi is located 182 km to the northwest. Korla is located 214 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 |
|---|---|
| 62 km (39 mi) N from epicenter |
Ürümqi Xinjiang, China. |
| 92 km (57 mi) NW from epicenter |
Changji Xinjiang, China. |
| 118 km (73 mi) E from epicenter |
Turpan Xinjiang, China. |
| 182 km (113 mi) NW from epicenter |
Shihezi Xinjiang, China. |
| 211 km (131 mi) NW from epicenter |
Sandaohezi Xinjiang, China. |
| 214 km (133 mi) SW from epicenter |
Korla Xinjiang, China. |
| 264 km (164 mi) NW from epicenter |
Dushanzi Xinjiang, China. |
| 281 km (175 mi) NW from epicenter |
Wusu 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).This is the strongest earthquake in 6 years
Earthquakes of this strength are not so common in the region, but it's not the first time. This is the strongest earthquake to hit since August 8th, 2020, when a 5.3 magnitude earthquake hit 9 km (6 mi) further west. An even stronger magnitude 6 earthquake struck on December 8th, 2016.
In total, 2 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 5 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 5.2. 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 08/04/26 07:18 (). 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 us6000slyj
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260402_0000231
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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