Magnitude 7.1 Earthquake on the border between China and Kyrgyzstan.

The China Earthquake Networks Center recorded a Magnitude 7.2 Earthquake at a depth of 22 km beneath Wushi County in western Xinjiang Province, China, close to the border with Kyrgyzstan slightly before 2.10 am local time on Tuesday 23 January 2024 (slightly before 6.10 pm on Monday 22 January, GMT). The are no reports of any damage or injuries associated with this event at the time of writing, although people have reported feeling it across much of eastern Kyrgystan.

The approximate location of the 23 January 2024 Xinjiang/Kyrgyzstan border region Earthquake. USGS.

The Tian Shan Mountains stretch for 2500 km across Xinjiang, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. The Tian Shan are part of the Himalayan Orogenic Belt, mountains in Central Asia pushed upwards by the collision of India and Asia. The Indian Plate is currently pushing into the Eurasian Plate from the south at a rate of 3 cm per year. Since both are continental plates, which do not subduct, the Eurasian Plate is folding and buckling, causing uplift in the Himalayas and other mountains of Central Asia. This is not a smooth process, the rocks will remain effectively stationary for log periods of time while pressure builds up, then give suddenly, releasing large amounts of energy in the form of Earthquakes.

The movement of India relative to Asia, and the blocks within the eastern part if the Eurasian Plate. University of Wollongong.

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Magnitude 5.2 Earthquake in western Kyrgyzstan.

The United States Geological Survey recorded a Magnitude 5.2 Earthquake at a depth of 28.0 km, in western Kyrgyzstan, 66 km to the northwest of the city of Shakhimardan an enclave of Uzbekistan surrounded by Kyrgyzstan, slightly before 4.30 pm local time (slightly before 10.30 am GMT) on Saturday 26 December 2020. There are no reports of any damage or casualties associated with this event, but it may have been felt locally.

 

The approximate location of the 26 December 2020 Kyrgyzstan Earthquake. USGS.

The quake occurred in the Pamiro-Alai Mountains, which form the border between Kyrgyzstan, Khazakhstan and China, and form a western extension of the the greater  Tian Shan range. The Tian Shan are part of the Himalayan Orogenic Belt, mountains in Central Asia pushed upwards by the collision of India and Asia. The Indian Plate is currently pushing into the Eurasian Plate from the south at a rate of 3 cm per year. Since both are continental plates, which do not subduct, the Eurasian Plate is folding and buckling, causing uplift in the Himalayas and other mountains of Central Asia.

 

The movement of India relative to Asia, and the blocks within the eastern part if the Eurasian Plate. University of Wollongong.

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Magnitude 6.4 Earthquake in western Xinjoang Province, China.

The China Earthquake Networks Center recorded a Magnitude 6.4 Earthquake at a depth of 16 km in the Tian Shan Mountains of northwestern Xinjiang Province, China, slightly after 9.20 pm local time (slightly after 1.20 pm GMT) on Sunday 19 January 2020. There are no reports of any damage or injuries associated with this event, but it was felt across a wide area of Xinjiang Province and neighbouring Kyrgyzstan.

 

The approximate location of the 19 January 2020 Xinjiang Earthquake. USGS.

 

The Tian Shan Mountains stretch for 2500 km across Xinjiang, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. The Tian Shan are part of the Himalayan Orogenic Belt, mountains in Central Asia pushed upwards by the collision of India and Asia. The Indian Plate is currently pushing into the Eurasian Plate from the south at a rate of 3 cm per year. Since both are continental plates, which do not subduct, the Eurasian Plate is folding and buckling, causing uplift in the Himalayas and other mountains of Central Asia. This is not a smooth process, the rocks will remain effectively stationary for log periods of time while pressure builds up, then give suddenly, releasing large amounts of energy in the form of Earthquakes.

The movement of India relative to Asia, and the blocks within the eastern part if the Eurasian Plate. University of Wollongong.

Witness accounts of Earthquakes can help geologists to understand these events, and the structures that cause them. The international non-profit organisation Earthquake Report is interested in hearing from people who may have felt this event; if you felt this quake then you can report it to Earthquake Report here.

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Gagea spelaea: A new species of Star-of-Bethlehem from the Western Tian Shan of Kyrgyzstan.

The genus Gagea comprises spring-flowering, herbaceous Lilies know by the common name of Stars-of-Bethlehem. The genus is a taxonomically difficult group, which requires examination of living plants for precise identification. A number of features, including the structure of bulbs, the character of vegetative reproduction, the presence, length, and cross section of the basal leaf, the shape of the inflorescence and capsules, the colour of tepals, and so on, are important for taxonomic identification in this genus. For correct identification, the characters of not only generative but also vegetative individuals are usually required. There are different estimates of the number of species in the genus, from about 100 to more than 320. In Kyrgyzstan 36 species of this genus have been described, with several undescribed taxa known in the mountains surrounding the Fergana Valley.

In a paper published in the Journal of Asia-Pacific Biodiversity on 3 February 2019, Igor Levichev of the Komarov Botanical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Chang-gee Jang of the Department of Biology Education at Kongju University, Seung Hwan Oh of the Forest Biodiversity Division at the Korea National Arboretum, and Georgii Lazkov of the Institute for Biology of the  National Academy of Sciences of Kyrgyzstan, describe a new species of Star-of-Bethlehem from the Sary-Chelek Nature Reserve in the Chatkal Range of the Jalal-Abad Region of western Kyrgyzstan, part of the Western Tian Shan Mountain Range.

The new species is named Gagea spelaea, where 'spelaea' means a den or small cave, in reference to the environment where the plants were found, on niches on conglomerate cliffs, in the Bokchop River Gorge. This species is distinctive in having completely white flowers, unlike the yellow or yellowish white. The species also has relatively small vegetative bulbils underground at the base, with a slender above-ground plant reaching about 25 cm in height.

Gagea spelaea: (A) general habit; (B) open flower. Georgii Lazkov in Levichev et al. (2019).

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Magnitude 4.6 Earthquake in eastern Kyrgyzstan.

The United States Geological Survey recorded a Magnitude 4.6 Earthquake at a depth of 10 km, 66 km to the southeast of the city of Karakol in the Issyk-Kul Region of eastern Kyrgyzstan, slightly before 12.55 pm local time (slightly before 6.55 am GMT) on Sunday 5 May 2019. There are no reports of any damage or casualties associated with this event, but it may have been felt locally.

The approximate location of the 5 May 2019 Kyrgyzstan Earthquake. USGS.

The quake occurred on the northern fringes of the Dzungarian Alatau Mountains, which form the border between Kyrgyzstan, Khazakhstan and China, and form part of the greater  Tian Shan range. The Tian Shan are part of the Himalayan Orogenic Belt, mountains in Central Asia pushed upwards by the collision of India and Asia. The Indian Plate is currently pushing into the Eurasian Plate from the south at a rate of 3 cm per year. Since both are continental plates, which do not subduct, the Eurasian Plate is folding and buckling, causing uplift in the Himalayas and other mountains of Central Asia.

 

 The movement of India relative to Asia, and the blocks within the eastern part if the Eurasian Plate. University of Wollongong.

 

Witness accounts of Earthquakes can help geologists to understand these events, and the structures that cause them. The international non-profit organisation Earthquake Report is interested in hearing from people who may have felt this event; if you felt this quake then you can report it to Earthquake Report here.

  

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Magnitude 4.7 Earthquake in the Kazakhstan/Kyrgyzstan border region.

The United States Geological Survey recorded a Magnitude 4.7 Earthquake at a depth of 26.0 km, in the Kazakhstan/Kyrgyzstan border region, slightly after 6.20 pm local time (slightly after 12.2 pm GMT) on Friday 31 August 2018. There are no reports of any damage or casualties associated with this event, but it was felt in Almaty in Kazakhstan.

The approximate location of the 31 August Kazakhstan/Kyrgyzstan border region Earthquake. USGS.

The quake occurred on the northern fringes of the Dzungarian Alatau Mountains, which form the border between Kyrgyzstan, Khazakhstan and China, and form part of the greater  Tian Shan range. The Tian Shan are part of the Himalayan Orogenic Belt, mountains in Central Asia pushed upwards by the collision of India and Asia. The Indian Plate is currently pushing into the Eurasian Plate from the south at a rate of 3 cm per year. Since both are continental plates, which do not subduct, the Eurasian Plate is folding and buckling, causing uplift in the Himalayas and other mountains of Central Asia.

The movement of India relative to Asia, and the blocks within the eastern part if the Eurasian Plate. University of Wollongong.

Witness accounts of Earthquakes can help geologists to understand these events, and the structures that cause them. The international non-profit organisation Earthquake Report is interested in hearing from people who may have felt this event; if you felt this quake then you can report it to Earthquake Report here.

See also...

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Magnitude 4.7 Earthquake in northwest Xinjiang Province, China.

The United States Geological Survey recorded a Magnitude 4.7 Earthquake at a depth of 41.5 km in the Tian Shan Mountains of northwestern Xinjiang Province, China, at about 0.35 am local time on Tuesday 18 March 2014 (about 4.35 pm on Monday 17 March GMT). An Earthquake of this size at this depth is unlikely to have caused any damage or casualties, particularly given the remote location of the event.

The approximate location of the 18 March 2014 Xinjiang Earthquake. Google Maps.

The Tian Shan Mountains stretch for 2500 km across Xinjiang, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. The Tian Shan are part of the Himalayan Orogenic Belt, mountains in Central Asia pushed upwards by the collision of India and Asia. The Indian Plate is currently pushing into the Eurasian Plate from the south at a rate of 3 cm per year. Since both are continental plates, which do not subduct, the Eurasian Plate is folding and buckling, causing uplift in the Himalayas and other mountains of Central Asia. This is not a smooth process, the rocks will remain effectively stationary for log periods of time while pressure builds up, then give suddenly, releasing large amounts of energy in the form of Earthquakes.

See also Magnitude 4.8 Earthquake in southwest Kyrgyzstan, Magnitude 4.5 Earthquake in the Tian Shan Mountains of China's Xinjiang Province, Magnitude 4.9 Earthquake in western Inner Mongolia, Magnitude 5.1 Earthquake hits Ürümqi in China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of northwest China and Magnitude 6.0 Earthquake in eastern Kazakhstan.

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Magnitude 4.8 Earthquake in southwest Kyrgyzstan.

The United States Geological Survey recorded a Magnitude 4.8 Earthquake at a depth of 32.3 km in southwest Kyrgyzstan, close to the border with Uzbekistan, slightly before 1.00 pm local time (slightly before 7.00 am GMT) on Friday 15 November 2013. There are no reports of any damage or casualties relating to this quake, though it is likely to have been felt locally.

The approximate location of the 15 November 2013 Kyrgyzstan Earthquake. Google Maps.

The quake occurred on the northern fringes of the Dzungarian Alatau Mountains, which form the border between Kyrgyzstan, Khazakhstan and China, and form part of the greater  Tian Shan range. The Tian Shan are part of the Himalayan Orogenic Belt, mountains in Central Asia pushed upwards by the collision of India and Asia. The Indian Plate is currently pushing into the Eurasian Plate from the south at a rate of 3 cm per year. Since both are continental plates, which do not subduct, the Eurasian Plate is folding and buckling, causing uplift in the Himalayas and other mountains of Central Asia.

See also Magnitude 4.5 Earthquake in the Tian Shan Mountains of China's Xinjiang Province, Magnitude 5.1 Earthquake hits Ürümqi in China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of northwest China, At least two people killed by Kashmir Earthquake, A least 12 fatalities after a Magnitude 5.6 Earthquake in eastern Afghanistan and Magnitude 6.0 Earthquake in eastern Kazakhstan.

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Magnitude 4.5 Earthquake in the Tian Shan Mountains of China's Xinjiang Province.

The United States Geological Survey Recorded a Magnitude 4.5 Earthquake at a depth of 12.1 km in the Tian Shan mountains in the north of China's Xinjiang Province, slightly after 1.20 pm local time (slightly after 5.20 am GMT) on Tuesday 17 September 2013. This quake is unlikely to have caused any damage or casualties, though it may have been felt locally.

The approximate location of the 17 September 2013 Xinjiang Earthquake. Google Maps.

The Tian Shan Mountains stretch for 2500 km across Xinjiang, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. The Tian Shan are part of the Himalayan Orogenic Belt, mountains in Central Asia pushed upwards by the collision of India and Asia. The Indian Plate is currently pushing into the Eurasian Plate from the south at a rate of 3 cm per year. Since both are continental plates, which do not subduct, the Eurasian Plate is folding and buckling, causing uplift in the Himalayas and other mountains of Central Asia. This is not a smooth process, the rocks will remain effectively stationary for log periods of time while pressure builds up, then give suddenly, releasing large amounts of energy in the form of Earthquakes.

See also Magnitude 4.9 Earthquake in western Inner Mongolia, 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, Magnitude 6.0 Earthquake in eastern Kazakhstan and Earthquake in southeast Kazakhstan.

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