Under land 179 kilometer from Ürümqi in China, a shallow and significant M5.1 earthquake occurred in the late afternoon of Sunday May 3rd, 2026.
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Earthquake Summary
The earthquake struck on land in China, 179 kilometer (111 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: | May 3, 2026 16:00 (Urumqi Time) - May 3, 2026 10:00 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 179 km south of Ürümqi, Xinjiang, China. Coordinates 42°15'9"N 88°12'5"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.1 Detected by 168 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.044 . |
| 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 111 kilometer (69 mi) southwest of the epicenter of this earthquake, Turpan (Xinjiang, China) is the nearest significant population center.
Major cities near this earthquake: Ürümqi is located 179 km to the north. Korla is located 178 km to the west. Turpan is located 111 km to the north-east.
A complete list of nearby places is included below.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 111 km (69 mi) NE from epicenter |
Turpan Xinjiang, China. |
| 178 km (111 mi) W from epicenter |
Korla Xinjiang, China. |
| 179 km (111 mi) N from epicenter |
Ürümqi Xinjiang, China. |
| 208 km (129 mi) N from epicenter |
Changji Xinjiang, China. |
| 287 km (178 mi) NW from epicenter |
Shihezi Xinjiang, China. |
Risk of aftershocks?
We monitor for foreshocks or aftershocks that have a magnitude of 2.5+ and occur within 100km (62 mi) of the epicenter of this earthquake. So far no such earthquakes have been detected.
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.
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 March 6th, 2026, when a 5.2 magnitude earthquake hit 222 km (138 mi) further northwest. An even stronger magnitude 6 earthquake struck on December 8th, 2016.
In total, 4 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 3 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 03/05/26 12:58 (). 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 us7000shy4
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260503_0000169
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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