M4.9 Earthquake near Kuqa, China — 05 March 2025
A light earthquake of magnitude 4.9 was recorded near Kuqa, China on , with an epicentre 45 km north-northwest of Kuqa, at a focal depth of 10.0 km.
Time (UTC): 2025-03-05 10:53:38
Time (your timezone): —
Magnitude: 4.9 (light)
Focal depth: 10.0 km (shallow)
Epicentre: 42.0708, 82.6633
Location: 45 km NNW of Kuqa, China
USGS link to NOAA tsunami information: Not linked
Review status: Reviewed
Source: USGS event page
How strong was this earthquake?
Light earthquakes are widely felt near the epicentre and can rattle windows, dishes and hanging objects. Damage is uncommon and usually limited to cracked plaster or fallen loose items.
A magnitude 4.9 earthquake radiates roughly 338 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.
The USGS assigns this earthquake a significance score of 369, which is below the USGS threshold of more than 600 for its significant-earthquake list. The ranking combines magnitude with available Did You Feel It responses and PAGER alert level; it is not a direct measurement of damage.
Where was the epicentre?
The epicentre was located at 42.0708, 82.6633 — 45 km north-northwest of Kuqa. The closest other recorded event was a magnitude 4.3 earthquake 10 km south of here on 27 February 2025.
Why the 10 km depth matters
At 10 km this was a shallow earthquake. Shallow events release their energy close to the surface, so for a given magnitude they produce noticeably stronger shaking — and more damage — than deeper ones. Roughly three quarters of all earthquakes worldwide occur at shallow depths.
This catalogue does not ingest eyewitness responses, so it cannot confirm where this earthquake was felt. Based on magnitude alone, an event this size is often felt across the surrounding area. Its shallow focus makes stronger surface shaking more likely than for a deeper event of the same magnitude.
What does the tsunami information flag mean?
The USGS record does not carry a link to NOAA tsunami information. That field is not an all-clear and does not state whether a tsunami occurred. In this case, a damaging tsunami would be less likely because at M4.9 it falls below the magnitude 6.5 threshold that generally applies before a submarine earthquake displaces enough water to generate a damaging tsunami; it occurred inland rather than beneath the sea floor. For an active coastal alert, use tsunami.gov or your local warning authority.
How earthquakes generate tsunamis, and what the alert levels mean →
Aftershocks and local seismic history
No further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event.
36 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 4.9 event near Kuqa on 04 February 2025. This M4.9 event released a comparable amount of energy to that event.
How long aftershock sequences last, and how large they get →
Where this event sits in the record
This earthquake is part of the March 2025 worldwide record. Browse the full monthly archive to compare periods.
Nearest recorded earthquakes to this epicentre
- M4.3 earthquake near Kuqa, China — (10 km S)
- M4.5 earthquake near Kuqa, China — (33 km SW)
- M4.3 earthquake near Kuqa, China — (57 km WSW)
- M4.7 earthquake near Kuqa, China — (58 km WSW)
- M4.5 earthquake near Kuqa, China — (59 km WSW)
- M4.5 earthquake near 乌鲁木齐, 中国 — (84 km SW)
- M4.5 earthquake near Kuqa, China — (102 km ESE)
- M4.6 earthquake near Kuqa, China — (103 km W)
- M4.5 earthquake near Kuqa, China — (110 km SE)
- M4.0 earthquake near Kuqa, China — (110 km SE)
Other magnitude 4 earthquakes worldwide
- M5.2 earthquake near Severo-Kuril’sk, Russia —
- M4.9 earthquake near Atka, Alaska —
- M4.9 earthquake near Atka, Alaska —
- M5.2 earthquake near Severo-Kuril’sk, Russia —
- M5.2 earthquake near Tsunō, Japan —
- M5.1 earthquake near south of the Fiji Islands —
- M4.9 earthquake near Matsubase, Japan —
- M5.1 earthquake near Tristan da Cunha region —
Questions about this earthquake
How strong is a magnitude 4.9 earthquake?
Light earthquakes are widely felt near the epicentre and can rattle windows, dishes and hanging objects. Damage is uncommon and usually limited to cracked plaster or fallen loose items. A magnitude 4.9 earthquake radiates roughly 338 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.
How deep was the earthquake near Kuqa?
At 10 km this was a shallow earthquake. Shallow events release their energy close to the surface, so for a given magnitude they produce noticeably stronger shaking — and more damage — than deeper ones. Roughly three quarters of all earthquakes worldwide occur at shallow depths.
Was the M4.9 earthquake near Kuqa felt?
This catalogue does not ingest eyewitness responses, so it cannot confirm where this earthquake was felt. Based on magnitude alone, an event this size is often felt across the surrounding area. Its shallow focus makes stronger surface shaking more likely than for a deeper event of the same magnitude.
What does the USGS tsunami field mean for this event?
The USGS record does not carry a link to NOAA tsunami information. That field is not an all-clear and does not state whether a tsunami occurred. In this case, a damaging tsunami would be less likely because at M4.9 it falls below the magnitude 6.5 threshold that generally applies before a submarine earthquake displaces enough water to generate a damaging tsunami; it occurred inland rather than beneath the sea floor. For an active coastal alert, use tsunami.gov or your local warning authority.
Have there been aftershocks?
No further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event.
How often do earthquakes happen near Kuqa?
36 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 4.9 event near Kuqa on 04 February 2025. This M4.9 event released a comparable amount of energy to that event.