The United States Geological Survey recorded a Magnitude 4.9 Earthquake at a depth of 11.4 km in the Alxa Division of western Inner Mongolia, slightly before 6.45 am local time on Tuesday 17 September 2013 (slightly before 10.45 pm on Monday 16 September GMT). This is a moderate Earthquake likely to have been felt locally, but unlikely to have caused any damage or injuries, particularly given its remote location.
The approximate location of the 17 September 2013 Inner Mongolia Earthquake. Google Maps.
Alxa lies on the northeastern fringe of the Tibetan Plateau, a vast upland created by the impact of India and Eurasia; the 32 highest mountains in the world are on the Plateau (the 33rd, Tirich Mir, is in the nearby Hindu Kush, Afghanistan). India is still moving northwards, but Eurasia is unable to do the same, resulting in an unusual degree of folding and uplift. This has resulted in a number of faults running east-west across the plateau, with sections being forced eastward into China.
See also Magnitude 4.7 Earthquake beneath Lake Guozha, northwest Tibet, Magnitude 5.1 Earthquake hits Ürümqi in China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of northwest China and Series of Earthquakes in Gansu Province kills at least 95.
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