A shallow and significant Magnitude 5.2 aftershock struck under land 259 kilometer from Dunhuang in China in the evening of Wednesday June 17th, 2026.
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Earthquake Summary
The earthquake struck on land in China, 259 kilometer (161 mi) south of Dunhuang in Gansu. 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: | Jun 17, 2026 22:20 (Shanghai Time) - Jun 17, 2026 14:20 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 259 km south of Dunhuang, Gansu, China. Coordinates 37°57'5"N 95°37'16"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.2 Detected by 272 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.035 . |
| 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 China . The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Dunhuang in Gansu, China. Dunhuang is located 259 kilometer (161 mi) south of the epicenter.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 259 km (161 mi) N from epicenter |
Dunhuang Gansu, China. |
| 278 km (173 mi) NE from epicenter |
Laojunmiao Gansu, China. |
This is likely an aftershock
This earthquake was an aftershock. A larger mag. 6.3 earthquake struck 20 km (13 mi) west in advance of this 5.2 earthquake around 1 day earlier.
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main Shock | M 6.3 |
Jun 16, 2026 17:06 (Shanghai Time) | - |
| Aftershock | M 5.2 |
36 mins later Jun 16, 2026 17:42 (Shanghai Time) | 19 km (12 mi) N from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 5.4 |
39 mins later Jun 16, 2026 17:45 (Shanghai Time) | 27 km (17 mi) SW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.7 |
2 hrs later Jun 16, 2026 19:01 (Shanghai Time) | 15 km (10 mi) NW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 5.0 |
2 hrs later Jun 16, 2026 19:14 (Shanghai Time) | 2.6 km (1.6 mi) E from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.9 |
4 hrs later Jun 16, 2026 21:27 (Shanghai Time) | 10 km (6 mi) W from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.2 |
10 hrs later Jun 17, 2026 02:50 (Shanghai Time) | 11 km (7 mi) W from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.2 |
13 hrs later Jun 17, 2026 05:52 (Shanghai Time) | 6 km (4 mi) W from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.9 |
17 hrs later Jun 17, 2026 10:06 (Shanghai Time) | 11 km (7 mi) SE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.8 |
21 hrs later Jun 17, 2026 14:28 (Shanghai Time) | 3 km (1.9 mi) E from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.3 |
22 hrs later Jun 17, 2026 14:43 (Shanghai Time) | 39 km (24 mi) SW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.4 |
22 hrs later Jun 17, 2026 15:28 (Shanghai Time) | 10 km (6 mi) S from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.3 |
24 hrs later Jun 17, 2026 16:44 (Shanghai Time) | 26 km (16 mi) NW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock This Earthquake |
M 5.2 |
1 day later Jun 17, 2026 22:20 (Shanghai Time) | 20 km (13 mi) E from Main Shock. |
More earthquakes coming?
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).Earthquakes like this are common in the region
Earthquakes of this strength occur quite regularly in the region. In total, 9 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.2 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 year.
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 5.2. 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 17/06/26 18:48 (). As more information on this earthquake becomes available this article will be updated. This article is automatically composed based on data originating from multiple sources.
- US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us7000stn8
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260617_0000333
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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