Moderate magnitude 4.5 earthquake at unknown depth20 Oct 01:07 UTC: First to report: EMSC after 11 minutes.20 Oct 01:29: Hypocenter depth recalculated from 19.00 to 10.00 km (from 11.8 to 6.2 mi). Epicenter location corrected by 24 km (15 mi) towards S.20 Oct 01:30: Now using data updates from USGSI didn't feel itI felt this quakeEarthquake detailsDate & timeOct 20, 2026 00:56:32 UTC - Local time at epicenterTuesday, Oct 20, 2026, at 08:56 am (Asia/Urumqi GMT +8)Statusconfirmed (manually revised)Magnitude4.50Depth10 kmEpicenter latitude / longitude40.6375°N / 84.1295°EBayingolin Mongol Zizhizhou, Xinjiang, ChinaSeismic antipode40.6375°S / 95.87°WQuality55 seismic stationsShaking intensityV Moderate shaking near epicenterFelt0 reportsPrimary data sourceUSGS (United States Geological Survey)Nearest volcanoTianshan (248 km / 154 mi)Weather at epicenter at time of quakeClear Sky 9.6°C (49 F), humidity: 30%, wind: 3 m/s (6 kts) from ESEEstimated seismic energy released3.5 x 1011 joules (98.6 megawatt hours, equivalent to 84.8 tons of TNT) | equivalent to ONE quake of magnitude 4.5 | about seismic energy1 hour and 34 minutes agoOct 20, 2026 00:56 GMT / Oct 20, 2026 08:56 am (Urumqi time)Lat / Lng: 40.6375 / 84.1295: 156 km SE of Kuqa, ChinaSource: USGSOther sources: EMSC: 4.3 / 10 kmDetail info | You felt it? - Report it!';storedMarkers.push(['quake-23450361',40.63750,84.12950,'1 hour and 34 minutes ago: Mag. 4.5, 156 km SE of Kuqa, China',html,'quakes-6-24.png',25,25,12,12,125]); function mkRep(id,notFelt){var nFelt=notFelt||false;var src="https://www.volcanoesandearthquakes.com/app/earthquake-report.php?quakeId="+id;if(nFelt==true){src+="¬Felt=true";}window.open(src,"","status=0,toolbar=0,location=0,directories=0,menubar=0,resizable=1,scrollbars=1,height=400,width=350");} function locationHashChanged(e){-1!=e.oldURL.indexOf("#popupMap")&&closePopup()} window.onhashchange = locationHashChanged; function comment(e){var t=e.parentNode,a=(t.dataset.id,document.getElementById("commentForm"));"none"==a.style.display?(t.appendChild(a),a.style.display="block"):a.style.display="none"}function sendComment(e){var t=e.parentNode,a=t.parentNode.dataset.id,n=document.getElementById("commentContent"),p=n.value.trim();if(p){var o="id="+a+"&quakeId="+thisQuakeId;o+="&comment="+decodeURIComponent(p),mkRequest("//reports.volcanodiscovery.com/app/eqReportComment.php","post",o,function(e){e.responseText;alert("Thank you for submitting your comment!"),t.style.display="none",n.value=""})}}function flagReport(e){var t=e.parentNode.dataset.id;if(confirm("Report this as inappropriate?")){var a="id="+t+"&quakeId="+thisQuakeId+"&flagAsInappropriate=1";mkRequest("//reports.volcanodiscovery.com/app/eqReportComment.php","post",a,function(t){var a=t.responseText;alert(a),e.style.display="none"})}}function likeReport(e){var t="id="+e.parentNode.dataset.id+"&quakeId="+thisQuakeId+"&like=1";mkRequest("//reports.volcanodiscovery.com/app/eqReportComment.php","post",t,function(t){t.responseText;e.style.opacity=.5})}]]>[smaller] [bigger]Most recent quakes Top 20 past 24 hrs Quakes in ChinaNearby placesThe closest larger town where the quake might have been felt is Xincheng, a city with more than 100,000 inhabitants in China, in 156 km (97 mi) distance northwest of the epicenter. People likely experienced very weak shaking there.The following table shows some of the places that might have been affected (or not) by the shaking.DistancePlaceMax. shaking intensity(*)RegionCountry156 km (97 mi)NW of epicenterXincheng(pop: 102,800)II: Very weakAksu Diqu, XinjiangChina210 km (131 mi)NE of epicenterKorla(pop: 549,300)II: Very weakBayingolin Mongol Zizhizhou, XinjiangChina242 km (150 mi)W of epicenterAla'er(pop: 126,300)II: Very weakAksu Diqu, XinjiangChina245 km (152 mi)NE of epicenterSishilichengzi(pop: 8,720)II: Very weakBayingolin Mongol Zizhizhou, XinjiangChina284 km (177 mi)SE of epicenterAketikandun(pop: 4,080)II: Very weakBayingolin Mongol Zizhizhou, XinjiangChina290 km (180 mi)NE of epicenterBaluntai(pop: 5,300)II: Very weakChina295 km (183 mi)S of epicenterYingwusitangcun(pop: 6,230)II: Very weakBayingolin Mongol Zizhizhou, XinjiangChina303 km (188 mi)SE of epicenterQiemo(pop: 18,900)II: Very weakBayingolin Mongol Zizhizhou, XinjiangChina310 km (193 mi)SW of epicenterDarya Boyi(pop: 1,280)II: Very weakHetian, XinjiangChina319 km (198 mi)N of epicenterXinyuan(pop: 282,700)II: Very weakIli Kazak Zizhizhou, XinjiangChina352 km (219 mi)SE of epicenterWaxxari(pop: 5,890)I: Not feltBayingolin Mongol Zizhizhou, XinjiangChina382 km (238 mi)NW of epicenterKax(pop: 23,500)I: Not feltIli Kazak Zizhizhou, XinjiangChina390 km (242 mi)NW of epicenterBaytokay(pop: 19,200)I: Not feltIli Kazak Zizhizhou, XinjiangChina390 km (243 mi)NW of epicenterSamuyuzi(pop: 19,600)I: Not feltIli Kazak Zizhizhou, XinjiangChina453 km (282 mi)NE of epicenterÜrümqi(pop: 3,029,400)I: Not feltUrumqi Shi, XinjiangChinaNotes:(*) Shaking intensity according to the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale (MMI) and estimated using seismic models.User-reports for this quakeThere are no user reports for this quake yet.If you felt it, be the first to report it!Get the Android appCompare Quake DataData for the same earthquake as reported by different agenciesThe more agencies report about the same quake and post similar data, the more confidence you can have in the data. It takes normally up to a few hours until earthquake parameters are calculated with near-optimum precision.MagDepthTime GMT2026-10-20EpicenterAgency4.510 km6.2 mi(*)±1.9 km00:56:32.769156 km SE of Kuqa, ChinaEpicenter uncertainty: ± 9.7 kmUSGS (United States Geological Survey)4.310 km6.2 mi(*)00:56:32.769±1.59sSOUTHERN XINJIANG, CHINA0 km (0 mi) epicenter difference with USGSEpicenter uncertainty: ± 15 kmEMSC (European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre)Notes:(*) A depth given as 10 km often means that the the depth of the quake could be not determined with sufficient accuracy.Aftershocks for this quakeNo aftershocks have been recorded so far. When aftershocks are detected, we will update this section.What are aftershocks?Larger earthquakes (above magnitude 5 or so) such as this one are usually followed by smaller ones known as aftershocks that occur in the same area during the days, weeks, months or even years after the main shock.[More info]What about this quake?Based on its magnitude, the fault that was active during the quake likely ruptured beneath a surface area of approximately 3 km2 (1 square miles) as a first-order estimate. The length of the rupture zone thus was probably around 3 km (2 mi).[More info]Recorded aftershocks, latest first (0 quake)Oct 20, 2026 08:56 am (Urumqi)1 hour and 34 minutes ago4.510 km0 km - This quake156 km SE of Xincheng, Xinjiang, ChinaMain Shock (this quake)MoreMap of aftershocksEarthquake statisticsAverage number of earthquakesBased on data from the past 26 years and our earthquake archive back to 1900, there are about 92 quakes on average per year in the area near the epicenter of this quake (within 100 km/61 mi):Mag. 5 or higher: 0.22 quakes per year (or 1 quake every 4.5 years)Mag. 4 or higher: 34 quakes per year (or 2.8 quakes per month)Mag. 3 or higher: 90 quakes per year (or 7.5 quakes per month)Mag. 2 or higher: 91 quakes per year (or 7.6 quakes per month)The area where this quake occurred has a high level of seismic activity. It has had at least 6 quakes above magnitude 5 since 2000, which suggests that larger earthquakes of this size occur infrequently, probably on average approximately every 1 to 5 years.Number of quakes per yearPrevious quakes in the same area of this earthquakeThe earthquake occurred 4 weeks after a magnitude 4.5 earthquake had hit on Saturday, Sep 19, 2026, at 11:53 pm local time (Asia/Urumqi GMT +8) in 81 km (50 mi) distance to the northwest:Mag. 4.5 earthquake 76 km southeast of Xincheng - Xinjiang, China - Sep 19, 2026 -The largest quake near the epicenter of this quake during the 10 years before was an event of magnitude 5.3. It had occurred 7 years earlier, on Thursday, Jan 16, 2020, at 02:32 pm local time (Asia/Urumqi GMT +6) in Xinjiang, China:Mag. 5.3 earthquake 84 km southeast of Xincheng - Xinjiang, China - Jan 16, 2020 -The strongest-ever (since 1900) recorded quake in this area measured magnitude 7.3. It had occurred 78 years ago earlier, on Wednesday, Feb 23, 1949, at 04:08 pm local time (Universal Time GMT +0) in Xinjiang, China:Mag. 7.3 earthquake 111 km east of Xincheng - Xinjiang, China - Feb 23, 1949 -Below is a list and map of larger or recent quakes that had occurred near the epicenter before this earthquake (within up to 100 km/61 mi distance, up to 300 km/183 mi for very large quakes above mag. 7). Filter and sort the list by magnitude or time.Max results102050100AllMagnitudeAll2+3+4+5+6+7+8+Time before48 hours1 week30 days1 year5 years30 yearsAny ageDate and TimeMagDepthDistanceLocationDetailsMapSep 19, 11:53 pm (Urumqi)4.510 km81 km (50 mi) to the NW 76 km southeast of Xincheng, Xinjiang, ChinaInfoSep 18, 10:32 pm (Urumqi)4.127 km107 km (67 mi) to the NW 50 km southeast of Xincheng, Xinjiang, ChinaInfoSep 18, 02:32 pm (Urumqi)4.40 km107 km (67 mi) to the NW 50 km southeast of Xincheng, Xinjiang, ChinaInfoSep 3, 02:45 am (Urumqi)4.80 km38 km (24 mi) to the S 182 km southeast of Xincheng, Xinjiang, ChinaInfoJul 9, 09:59 am (Urumqi)4.622 km80 km (50 mi) to the NW 86 km south of Xincheng, Xinjiang, ChinaInfoMay 20, 04:06 pm (Urumqi)4.510 km92 km (57 mi) to the NW 66 km southeast of Xincheng, Xinjiang, ChinaInfoFeb 12, 11:40 pm (Urumqi)4.810 km14 km (9 mi) to the N Southern Xinjiang, ChinaInfoOct 12, 2025 09:57 am (Urumqi)4.7?5 km39 km (24 mi) to the N Southern Xinjiang, China (unconfirmed)InfoFeb 5, 2025 05:42 am (Urumqi)5.010 km77 km (48 mi) to the NW 82 km SE of Kuqa, China 1 reportInfoOct 26, 2024 02:35 pm (Urumqi)5.110 km38 km (23 mi) to the N 122 km SE of Kuqa, ChinaInfoSep 15, 2024 02:17 pm (Urumqi)4.710 km27 km (17 mi) to the N 143 km SE of Kuqa, ChinaInfoAug 22, 2024 05:38 am (Urumqi)5.110 km34 km (21 mi) to the N 124 km SE of Kuqa, China 1 reportInfoDec 2, 2023 10:03 pm (GMT +0)4.810 km82 km (51 mi) to the E 144 km southwest of Korla, Xinjiang, ChinaInfoSep 9, 2023 06:21 pm (Shanghai)4.810 km99 km (61 mi) to the E 119 km southwest of Korla, Xinjiang, ChinaInfoDec 16, 2022 05:43 pm (Shanghai)4.810 km38 km (24 mi) to the E SOUTHERN XINJIANG, CHINAInfoDec 13, 2022 08:34 pm (Shanghai)4.710 km61 km (38 mi) to the SE 212 km southwest of Korla, Xinjiang, ChinaInfoNov 1, 2022 11:20 am (Shanghai)4.910 km115 km (71 mi) to the N SOUTHERN XINJIANG, CHINAInfoJul 24, 2022 06:14 am (Shanghai)4.710 km80 km (50 mi) to the W 121 km south of Xincheng, Xinjiang, ChinaInfoJul 8, 2022 08:23 pm (Shanghai)4.810 km113 km (70 mi) to the NW SOUTHERN XINJIANG, CHINAInfoMar 18, 2022 08:36 pm (Shanghai)4.710 km32 km (20 mi) to the W SOUTHERN XINJIANG, CHINAInfoMar 18, 2022 04:48 pm (Shanghai)4.710 km13 km (8.4 mi) to the W SOUTHERN XINJIANG, CHINAInfoDec 27, 2021 03:55 am (Shanghai)4.910 km83 km (52 mi) to the W 162 km east of Ala'er, Xinjiang, ChinaInfoDec 21, 2021 11:14 am (Shanghai)4.710 km56 km (35 mi) to the N SOUTHERN XINJIANG, CHINAInfoDec 14, 2021 10:53 am (Shanghai)4.810 km69 km (43 mi) to the W SOUTHERN XINJIANG, CHINAInfoSep 16, 2021 11:57 pm (Shanghai)4.810 km33 km (21 mi) to the S SOUTHERN XINJIANG, CHINAInfoJul 29, 2021 06:22 pm (Shanghai)4.710 km36 km (22 mi) to the SE SOUTHERN XINJIANG, CHINAInfoApr 26, 2021 01:48 pm (Shanghai)4.810 km2.5 km (1.6 mi) to the W SOUTHERN XINJIANG, CHINAInfoMar 27, 2021 07:08 am (Shanghai)4.810 km78 km (49 mi) to the W 新疆阿克苏地区沙雅县, ChinaInfoMar 20, 2021 05:52 am (Shanghai)5.010 km75 km (47 mi) to the SW 215 km east of Ala'er, Xinjiang, ChinaInfoFeb 27, 2021 02:32 am (Shanghai)4.810 km85 km (53 mi) to the W SOUTHERN XINJIANG, CHINAInfoFeb 5, 2021 01:05 pm (Shanghai)4.910 km69 km (43 mi) to the W SOUTHERN XINJIANG, CHINAInfoSep 12, 2020 11:19 pm (Urumqi)4.910 km86 km (54 mi) to the N 81 km southeast of Kuqa, Akesu Diqu, Xinjiang Weiwuerzizhiqu, ChinaInfoApr 16, 2020 06:29 am (Shanghai)4.710 km80 km (50 mi) to the W 167 km east of Aral, Alaer Shi, Xinjiang Weiwuerzizhiqu, ChinaInfoJan 16, 2020 02:32 pm (Urumqi)5.310 km73 km (46 mi) to the NW 84 km southeast of Xincheng, Xinjiang, ChinaInfoMar 9, 1949 05:25 am (Universal Time)5.615 km92 km (57 mi) to the N 139 km ESE of Kuqa, ChinaInfoFeb 23, 1949 04:08 pm (Universal Time)7.310 km144 km (89 mi) to the N 111 km east of Xincheng, Xinjiang, ChinaInfoMar 9, 1944 10:12 pm (Universal Time)7.210 km296 km (184 mi) to the N 53 km east of Xinyuan, Xinjiang, ChinaInfoMap of earlier quakes in the area of this quakeMax results102050100AllMagnitudeAll2+3+4+5+6+7+8+Time before48 hours1 week30 days1 year5 years30 yearsAny ageOldest quakes are shown in yellow, most recent in red.[quakes -][quakes +][smaller][bigger]