In the early afternoon of Wednesday March 11th, 2026, a shallow and significant Magnitude 5.1 earthquake hit under land 66 kilometer from Balkanabat in Turkmenistan.
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Earthquake Summary
The earthquake struck on land in Turkmenistan, 66 kilometer (41 mi) north of Balkanabat in Balkan. The center of this earthquake had a very shallow depth of 10 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.
| Date and Time: | Mar 11, 2026 12:55 (Ashgabat Time) - Mar 11, 2026 07:55 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 66 km north of Balkanabat, Balkan, Turkmenistan. Coordinates 40°5'37"N 54°14'41"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.1 Detected by 107 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.055 . |
| Depth: | 10 km (6 mi) A very shallow depth. |
| Tsunami Risk: | Tsunami very unlikely While this was a shallow earthquake, it appears to have occurred under land with a magnitude not strong enough to cause tsunami's. Always stay cautious - More info here. |
Nearby towns and cities
This earthquake may have been felt in Turkmenistan . The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Balkanabat in Balkan, Turkmenistan. Balkanabat is located 66 kilometer (41 mi) north of the epicenter.
An overview of nearby towns and cities is available in the overview below.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 66 km (41 mi) S from epicenter |
Balkanabat Balkan, Turkmenistan. |
| 103 km (64 mi) S from epicenter |
Gumdag Balkan, Turkmenistan. |
| 110 km (68 mi) W from epicenter |
Türkmenbaşy Balkan, Turkmenistan. |
| 144 km (89 mi) SE from epicenter |
Bereket Balkan, Turkmenistan. |
Risk of aftershocks?
We have not yet detected any foreshocks or aftershocks (MAG-2.5 or higher) within 100km (62 mi) of this earthquake.
Aftershocks are usually at least 1 order of magnitude less strong than main shocks. The more time passes, the smaller the chance and likely strength of any potential aftershocks.
In only six percent of cases, significant earthquakes are followed by a larger main shock, making the current earthquake a foreshock. While the chance of this happening is not so large, it is adviced to maintain cautiousness in the hours and days following a major earthquake.
Read: How to Stay Safe during an Earthquake (cdc.gov).This is the strongest earthquake in 5 years
Earthquakes of this strength occur quite regularly in the region. This is the strongest earthquake to hit since September 26th, 2020, when a 5.2 magnitude earthquake hit 262 km (163 mi) further south-east. An even stronger magnitude 5.4 earthquake struck on October 26th, 2016.
In total, 3 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.1 or higher have been registered within 300km (186 mi) of this epicenter in the past 10 years. This comes down to an average of once every 3 years.
Tsunami very unlikely
While MAG-6.5+ earthquakes may cause tsunami's, it appears that the epicenter of this earthquake hit under land. In addition, the reported depth is deeper than 100km, making the risk of a tsunami even less likely. However always stay cautious and monitor advice from local authorities.
Tsunami Risk Factors
| Factor | Under Sea? | MAG-6.5 or stronger? | Shallow depth? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Explanation | Almost all tsunami's are caused by earthquakes with their epicenter under sea or very near the sea. However stay cautious in coastal areas as earthquakes on land may cause landslides into sea, potentially still causing a local tsunami. | Under MAG 6.5: Very unlikely to cause a tsunami. MAG 6.5 to 7.5: Destructive tsunami's do occur, but are uncommon. Likely to observe small sea level changes. MAG 7.6+: Earthquakes with these magnitudes might produce destructive tsunami's. |
Most destructive tsunami's are caused by shallow earthquakes with a depth between 0 and 100km under the surface of the earth. Deeper tsunami's are unlikely to displace to ocean floor. |
| This Earthquake | Not this earthquake. This earthquake appears to have struck on land far from any coast. |
Not this earthquake. This earthquake had a magnitude of 5.1. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 10 km (6 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 31/03/26 09:28 (). This article is automatically generated based on available data. We keep checking multiple sources for additional information. This article gets updated as new details on this earthquake become available.
- US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us7000s3ku
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260311_0000108
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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