Local emergency management agencies said the earthquake damaged more than 1,000 homes and businesses in the nearby populated towns and villages.

[6][1] Northern Xinjiang lies at the northernmost extreme zone of continental deformation as a result of the ongoing collision between India and Eurasia.

[8] Historically, the region has hosted many large magnitude 6.0+ earthquakes, but their destructive capabilities were limited due to the sparse population density.

[12] According to the United States Geological Survey, the earthquake ruptured with a shallow focal depth of 5.6 km at the foothills of the Tien Shan mountains.

[15] Focal mechanism solutions provided by the USGS show that the earthquake occurred as the result of shallow reverse faulting, with a small strike-slip component.

[16] Source models using InSAR data show the earthquake involved slippage on the flat portion of a listric fault without rupturing to the surface.

The epicenter of this earthquake is said to have been at the southern margin of the Kalpin fold and thrust belt, where the Tian Shan meets the Tarim Basin.

Calculating the Coulomb stress transfer caused by the earthquake demonstrates the increased risk of seismic hazard in the region.

[12] A more recent analysis of the event reveals that this occurred beneath the shallow décollement, consistent with earlier earthquakes in 1997, 1998, and 2003.

[5][1] According to a local villager in Guleruk Township, Jiashi County who survived the earthquake, it was described as violent and "like thunder", adding that the shaking lasted for 20 to 30 seconds.