M4.5 Earthquake 51 km W of Kuqa, China — September 22, 2026
2026-09-22 16:09:09 UTC (2 hours ago) · approx. 9:09 PM UTC+5 local
On September 22, 2026 at 16:09 UTC, a magnitude 4.5 shallow crustal earthquake struck 51 km W of Kuqa, China, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates 41.7997°, 82.3165°. This earthquake was detected by 75 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 312, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.5 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 85 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 767 m — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
Earthquake Details
82.3165°E
Technical Information
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Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.5 earthquake near Kuqa, China?
The magnitude 4.5 earthquake that struck 51 km W of Kuqa, China on September 22, 2026 at 16:09 UTC had a depth of 10.0 km. For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 41.7997°, 82.3165°, which is 51 km W of Kuqa, China.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.5 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.
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Location
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000twwy). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2026, September 22, 2026). M4.5 Earthquake 51 km W of Kuqa, China — September 22, 2026. Retrieved September 22, 2026 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000twwy/