A powerful magnitude-7.1 earthquake struck Wushi County in Aksu Prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, triggering concerns over potential aftershocks. The China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC) has indicated that a mainshock-aftershock sequence is likely, suggesting a series of smaller quakes may follow.
Han Yanyan, a senior engineer at the CENC, explained that the earthquake's magnitude and characteristics align with historical patterns in the region. As of 8 a.m. on Tuesday, 40 earthquakes of magnitude 3 or above had been recorded, with the largest aftershock measuring at magnitude 5.3. Han cautioned that strong aftershocks could continue in the coming days.
The Tianshan seismic zone, located in Central Asia, encompasses regions such as the Pamir Plateau and the Tarim Basin to the south, and the Kazakh Platform and Junggar Basin to the north. This area has experienced significant tectonic activity since the Cenozoic Era, primarily due to the ongoing collision and compression of the Indian Plate against the Eurasian Plate. Historically, earthquakes of magnitude 7 or above occur here approximately every seven years, with the last major quake being a magnitude-7.2 event in Tajikistan on February 23, 2023.
Tuesday's earthquake, classified as a shallow earthquake with a focal depth of 22 kilometers, was strongly felt across various cities and prefectures in Xinjiang, including Aksu, Artux, Kashgar, Ili, Korla, and Karamay. Fortunately, the population within 20 kilometers of the epicenter remains sparse, potentially mitigating immediate human impact.
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Aftershocks expected after M7.1 earthquake hits NW China's Xinjiang
cgtn.com
