M4.5 Earthquake 156 km SE of Kuqa, China — October 20, 2026
2026-10-20 00:56:32 UTC (51 min ago) · approx. 6:56 AM UTC+6 local
On October 20, 2026 at 00:56 UTC, a magnitude 4.5 shallow crustal earthquake struck 156 km SE of Kuqa, China, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates 40.6375°, 84.1295°. This earthquake was detected by 55 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
84.1295°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.5 earthquake near Kuqa, China?
The magnitude 4.5 earthquake that struck 156 km SE of Kuqa, China on October 20, 2026 at 00:56 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 40.6375°, 84.1295°, which is 156 km SE 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.
Actions
Location
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000u3j5). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2026, October 20, 2026). M4.5 Earthquake 156 km SE of Kuqa, China — October 20, 2026. Retrieved October 20, 2026 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000u3j5/