[1] The thrust earthquake measured 7.7 on the moment magnitude scale (Mw ) and had a depth of 18 km (11 mi).

The Tien Shan mountains is situated in a zone of complex convergence caused by the Indian–Eurasian plate interaction.

The effects of the earthquake led government officials to relieve victims of taxes and provide compensation.

[3] Before the Indian subcontinent collided with Eurasia, there were island arcs and microcontinents (terranes) between the two landmasses.

These terranes were later accreted to Eurasia as the northward-moving Indian subcontinent collided, and are now in present-day Central Asia.

[3][4] The region is dominated by large, north and south dipping thrust faults along the southern edge of the Tien Shan mountains, and the northern boundary of the Tarim Basin.

[2] The Tien Shan actively accommodates crustal shortening by underthrusting of the Tarim Basin in the south and overthrusting of the Pamirs in the west southwest.

The northwestern Tien Shan is seismically active—earthquakes are caused by thrust faulting and usually have shallow focal depths of 15 km (9.3 mi) or less.

[10] Seismologists Beno Gutenberg and Charles Francis Richter assigned mb (body wave magnitude) 7.9 and Ms  8.6, respectively.

[11] Due to the sparse network of seismic instruments to record the mainshock, its magnitude was greatly overestimated.

Academic research into the event spanned nearly 40 years, but due to the inaccessible location, understanding its characteristics was a challenge.

For a magnitude 7.7 earthquake, a 110 km (68 mi) rupture is needed, and the dimensions of the TAF suggest it is large enough to be the source.

Field observations along the TAF found no trace of surface ruptures indicating the event was a blind thrust earthquake.

The proposed fault marks the boundary between the southwestern Tien Shan and northern Tarim Basin.

These surface ruptures were identified via field studies, digital elevation model data and remote sensing, which had a combined length of 108 km (67 mi).

[13] The earthquake was felt strongly across Central Asia for 927,000 km2 (358,000 sq mi), extending from south of Tashkent to north of Almaty.

[10][18] Isoseismal X was felt over an elliptical area for 7,500 km2 (2,900 sq mi), in which the cities of Artux, Songtak, Halajun, and Ahu were within.

Multiple earthquakes of ~Ms  6.0 occurred, however, a large 650 km (400 mi) seismic gap existed.

[12][19][20] There were unusual noises, peculiar animal behaviors, lights and a change in the weather prior to the mainshock.

In Ahu, two hours before the earthquake, cattle, horses, chickens, dogs, cats and other livestock made unusual sounds.

In areas which would eventually experience intense (VIII–IX) shaking, animals ran, flew or barked.

The earthquake triggered massive landslides with an estimated volume exceeding 200,000 m3 (7,100,000 cu ft).

[26][19][12] In the meizoseismal area, trees swayed in a forceful manner such that their tips touched the ground.

The largest fissure measured 1 km (0.62 mi) long, several meters wide, and 3 m (9.8 ft) deep.

Several historical monuments including the Xiangfei Tomb partially collapsed and fractured.