Under land 7 kilometer from Xunchang in China, a shallow and significant Magnitude 5.1 earthquake occurred in the early afternoon of Friday August 7th, 2026. The earthquake struck near a very densely populated region.
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Earthquake Summary
The earthquake struck on land in China, 7 kilometer (4 mi) north-east of Xunchang in Sichuan. 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: | Aug 7, 2026 13:08 (Shanghai Time) - Aug 7, 2026 05:08 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 7 km NE of Xunchang, Sichuan, China. Coordinates 28°30'18"N 104°45'8"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.1 Detected by 53 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.078 . |
| 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 Xunchang in Sichuan, China. Xunchang is located 7 kilometer (4 mi) north-east of the epicenter.
Multiple large cities are in proximity of today's earthquake. Chengdu is located 249 km to the north. Chongqing is located 211 km to the north-east. Yibin is located 30 km to the north.
A complete list of nearby places is included below.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 7 km (4 mi) SW from epicenter |
Xunchang Sichuan, China. |
| 18 km (11 mi) NE from epicenter |
Changning Sichuan, China. |
| 23 km (14 mi) SW from epicenter |
Wenjiang Sichuan, China. |
| 24 km (15 mi) W from epicenter |
Qingfu Sichuan, China. |
| 29 km (18 mi) NW from epicenter |
Baixi Sichuan, China. |
| 30 km (19 mi) N from epicenter |
Yibin Sichuan, China. |
| 36 km (22 mi) NE from epicenter |
Luolong Sichuan, China. |
| 37 km (23 mi) SE from epicenter |
Bowangshan Sichuan, China. |
| 37 km (23 mi) W from epicenter |
Xiangjiaba Yunnan, China. |
| 40 km (25 mi) W from epicenter |
Shuanglong Sichuan, China. |
| 40 km (25 mi) NE from epicenter |
Jiang’an Sichuan, China. |
| 44 km (27 mi) NE from epicenter |
Nanxi Sichuan, China. |
| 44 km (27 mi) SW from epicenter |
Junlian Sichuan, China. |
| 49 km (30 mi) S from epicenter |
Xunsi Sichuan, China. |
| 52 km (32 mi) SE from epicenter |
Gusong Sichuan, China. |
| 61 km (38 mi) E from epicenter |
Huguo Sichuan, China. |
| 67 km (42 mi) NW from epicenter |
Juexi Sichuan, China. |
| 67 km (42 mi) NE from epicenter |
Naxi Sichuan, China. |
| 67 km (42 mi) N from epicenter |
Baihua Sichuan, China. |
| 71 km (44 mi) N from epicenter |
Kongtan Sichuan, China. |
| 75 km (47 mi) NW from epicenter |
Guanyin Sichuan, China. |
| 76 km (47 mi) SE from epicenter |
Xuyong Sichuan, China. |
| 78 km (48 mi) NE from epicenter |
Luzhou Sichuan, China. |
| 93 km (58 mi) N from epicenter |
Zigong Sichuan, China. |
| 94 km (58 mi) NE from epicenter |
Fuji Sichuan, China. |
| 101 km (63 mi) NE from epicenter |
Taifu Sichuan, China. |
| 108 km (67 mi) NE from epicenter |
Yunjin Sichuan, China. |
| 111 km (69 mi) E from epicenter |
Hejiang Sichuan, China. |
| 112 km (70 mi) NE from epicenter |
Xuantan Sichuan, China. |
| 116 km (72 mi) SE from epicenter |
Gulin Sichuan, China. |
| 121 km (75 mi) NW from epicenter |
Luocheng Sichuan, China. |
| 124 km (77 mi) N from epicenter |
Neijiang Sichuan, China. |
| 144 km (89 mi) S from epicenter |
Bijie Guizhou, China. |
| 147 km (91 mi) NE from epicenter |
Baisha Chongqing, China. |
| 152 km (94 mi) NW from epicenter |
Leshan Sichuan, China. |
| 153 km (95 mi) NE from epicenter |
Longshui Chongqing, China. |
| 167 km (104 mi) SW from epicenter |
Zhaotong Yunnan, China. |
| 170 km (106 mi) NE from epicenter |
Jijiang Chongqing, China. |
| 180 km (112 mi) N from epicenter |
Ziyang Sichuan, China. |
| 188 km (117 mi) NE from epicenter |
Bishan Chongqing, China. |
| 193 km (120 mi) NW from epicenter |
Meishan Sichuan, China. |
| 199 km (124 mi) NE from epicenter |
Banan Chongqing, China. |
| 211 km (131 mi) NE from epicenter |
Chongqing Chongqing, China. |
| 213 km (132 mi) S from epicenter |
Liupanshui Guizhou, China. |
| 230 km (143 mi) SE from epicenter |
Zunyi Guizhou, China. |
| 236 km (147 mi) N from epicenter |
Suining Sichuan, China. |
| 237 km (147 mi) NW from epicenter |
Ya'an Sichuan, China. |
| 249 km (155 mi) N from epicenter |
Chengdu Sichuan, China. |
| 285 km (177 mi) NE from epicenter |
Nanchong Sichuan, China. |
| 285 km (177 mi) NE from epicenter |
Guang’an Sichuan, China. |
| 288 km (179 mi) SE from epicenter |
Guiyang Guizhou, China. |
Shaking reported by 1 person
People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 1 person has reported shaking in one place in China.We keep updating this article as more ground reports become available. You may report that you felt this earthquake here.
Places with most reports:
- Yibin, Sichuan, China: 1 person.
2 Aftershocks detected
This main shock was followed by 2 smaller aftershocks. At a distance of 9 km (6 mi) west of this earthquake, an aftershock struck 23 hrs later. It measured a magnitude of 3.4
This main shock was prefaced by 2 smaller foreshocks. Roughly 3 days before this earthquake, a foreshock measuring MAG-4.4 was detected nearby this earthquake.
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreshock | M 4.4 |
3 days earlier Aug 4, 2026 23:58 (Shanghai Time) | 4 km (2.4 mi) N from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 3.0 |
2 days earlier Aug 5, 2026 01:22 (Shanghai Time) | 11 km (7 mi) NW from Main Shock. |
| Main Shock This Earthquake |
M 5.1 |
Aug 7, 2026 13:08 (Shanghai Time) | - |
| Aftershock | M 3.0 |
3 hrs later Aug 7, 2026 16:02 (Shanghai Time) | 7 km (4 mi) NW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.4 |
23 hrs later Aug 8, 2026 12:21 (Shanghai Time) | 9 km (6 mi) W from Main Shock. |
More earthquakes coming?
Earthquakes can create aftershocks. These are generally at least 1 magnitude lower than any main shock, and as time passes the chance and strength of aftershocks decreases.
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 happen often in the region
Earthquakes of this strength are very common in the region. This is the strongest earthquake to hit since June 28th, 2026, when a 5.2 magnitude earthquake hit 16 km (10 mi) further north. An even stronger magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck on September 5th, 2022.
In total, 14 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 9 months.
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 08/08/26 04:48 (). 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 us6000tivz
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260807_0000064
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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