A shallow and significant Magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck under land 79 kilometer from Kuqa in China in the evening of Friday November 13th, 2026.
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Earthquake Summary
The earthquake struck on land in China, 79 kilometer (49 mi) north-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: | Nov 13, 2026 22:17 (Urumqi Time) - Nov 13, 2026 16:17 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 79 km NE of Kuqa, Xinjiang, China. Coordinates 42°10'24"N 83°39'57"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.2 Detected by 149 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.047 . |
| 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 79 kilometer (49 mi) north-east of the epicenter.
Multiple large cities are in proximity of today's earthquake. Korla is located 211 km to the east. Xinyuan is located 143 km to the north. Kuqa is located 79 km to the southwest.
An overview of nearby towns and cities is available in the overview below.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 79 km (49 mi) SW from epicenter |
Kuqa Xinjiang, China. |
| 143 km (89 mi) N from epicenter |
Xinyuan Xinjiang, China. |
| 211 km (131 mi) E from epicenter |
Korla Xinjiang, China. |
| 219 km (136 mi) NW from epicenter |
Kax Xinjiang, China. |
| 226 km (140 mi) NW from epicenter |
Samuyuzi Xinjiang, China. |
| 227 km (141 mi) NW from epicenter |
Baytokay Xinjiang, China. |
| 229 km (142 mi) NW from epicenter |
Weiwu'eryuqiwen Xinjiang, China. |
| 239 km (149 mi) NW from epicenter |
Yengitam Xinjiang, China. |
| 241 km (150 mi) NW from epicenter |
Onyar Xinjiang, China. |
| 251 km (156 mi) NW from epicenter |
Arewusitang Xinjiang, China. |
| 252 km (157 mi) NW from epicenter |
Yuqunweng Xinjiang, China. |
| 253 km (157 mi) NW from epicenter |
Awuliya Xinjiang, China. |
| 259 km (161 mi) N from epicenter |
Dushanzi Xinjiang, China. |
| 264 km (164 mi) N from epicenter |
Wusu Xinjiang, China. |
| 265 km (165 mi) NW from epicenter |
Jelilyüzi Xinjiang, China. |
| 267 km (166 mi) NW from epicenter |
Hudiyuzi Xinjiang, China. |
| 269 km (167 mi) NW from epicenter |
Yili Xinjiang, China. |
| 270 km (168 mi) SW from epicenter |
Aral Xinjiang, China. |
| 271 km (168 mi) NW from epicenter |
Taxkowrük Xinjiang, China. |
| 273 km (170 mi) NW from epicenter |
Panjim Xinjiang, China. |
| 277 km (172 mi) NW from epicenter |
Dadamtu Xinjiang, China. |
| 277 km (172 mi) NW from epicenter |
Qapqal Xinjiang, China. |
| 280 km (174 mi) NW from epicenter |
Bayandai Xinjiang, China. |
| 287 km (178 mi) NE from epicenter |
Sandaohezi Xinjiang, China. |
Aftershocks detected
After this earthquake struck, 1 smaller aftershock occurred. At a distance of 9 km (5 mi) north of this earthquake, an aftershock struck 6 mins later. It measured a magnitude of 3.8
In the days before this main shock, 1 smaller foreshock was detected. Nearby this earthquake a foreshock struck 2 days earlier. It measured a magnitude of 3
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreshock | M 3.0 |
2 days earlier Nov 11, 2026 20:15 (Urumqi Time) | 71 km (44 mi) NW from Main Shock. |
| Main Shock This Earthquake |
M 5.2 |
Nov 13, 2026 22:17 (Urumqi Time) | - |
| Aftershock | M 3.8 |
6 mins later Nov 13, 2026 22:23 (Urumqi Time) | 9 km (5 mi) N from Main Shock. |
More earthquakes coming?
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 3 years
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 86 km (53 mi) further west. An even stronger magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck on August 8th, 2017.
In total, 7 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 year.
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 13/11/26 23:58 (). 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 us7000ty14
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20261113_0000206
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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