Shallow M5.2 Earthquake struck on Saturday Night near Las Gabias in Spain.

Written by Earthquakelist.org on August 14th, 2026. Last updated September 7th, 2026.

In the night of Saturday August 15th, 2026, a shallow and significant MAG-5.2 earthquake hit under land 2 kilometer from Las Gabias in Spain. Earthquakes like this can cause significant economic damage but are usually unlikely to result on large numbers of fatalities. Other nearby countries are Gibraltar, Morocco and Algeria.

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Earthquake Summary

The earthquake struck on land in Spain, 2 kilometer (1 mi) west of Las Gabias in Andalusia. 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 15, 2026 01:04 (Madrid Time) - Aug 14, 2026 23:04 Universal Time.
Location:	2 km west of Las Gabias, Andalusia, Spain. Coordinates 37°8'10"N 3°41'47"W.
Map:	Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps.
Magnitude:	MAG 5.2 Detected by 108 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.055 .
Depth:	10 km (6 mi) A very shallow depth.
Max. Intensity:	VII Very Strong On the Modified Mercalli Scale.
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.

Significant economic impact

The US Geographic Survey (USGS) describes the impact of this earthquake as follows:

Some homes and at least 5 buildings were damaged, landslides occurred, and power outages were reported in the Granada area.

Based on scientific estimates by the USGS, the risk of high fatalities for this earthquake is classified at level GREEN (low). They expect an 90% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 fatalities.

The USGS classifies the economic impact of this earthquake at level YELLOW (significant). They expect an 35% likelyhood of between 10 and 100 million US Dollars in economic damage and impact, and a 96% chance that the economic impact of this earthquake falls no higher than 1,000 million USD.

Roughly 9 million people exposed to shaking

This earthquake may have been felt by around 9 million people. That is the expected population size of the area exposed to a level of shaking of II or higher on the Modified Mercalli scale according to the USGS.

An estimated 26,830 people were exposed to level VII. At this level, very strong shaking and likely moderate damage can be expected. Intensity level II was experienced by a large group of people (around 4.2 million). In their region, very weak shaking and no damage can be expected.

People in 4 countries have been exposed to shaking. Roughly 6.6 million people were exposed to shaking in Spain , with level VII (very strong shaking, likely moderate damage) as the highest recorded. In Morocco , around 2 million people. A smaller number of people were exposed in the following countries: Algeria and Gibraltar.

Nearby towns and cities

This earthquake struck within proximity of multiple countries. Spain , Gibraltar , Morocco and Algeria are all within 300km distance of its epicenter.

Located 2 kilometer (1 mi) west of the epicenter of this earthquake, Las Gabias (Andalusia, Spain) is the nearest significant population center. The intensity of shaking and damage in Las Gabias is estimated to be around level VI on the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale (strong shaking, probably light damage).

Multiple major population centers exist within 300km of the earthquake that struck today. Granada is located 10 km to the north-east and experienced an intensity of V (moderate shaking, very light damage). Málaga is located 79 km to the southwest and experienced an intensity of III (weak shaking, probably no damage). Sevilla is located 203 km to the west (intensity unknown, possibly low).

The table below provides an overview of all places in proximity of today's earthquake. Where available, the estimated intensity on the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale in each place is included. Places where this information is omitted likely experienced little impact.

Overview of nearby places

Earthquake Intensity Map

The graph below overlays a map of the region around the epicenter with earthquake intensity data provided by the US Geographic Survey. The highest intensity level detected for this earthquake is VII.

I Not felt

II Weak

III Weak

IV Light

V Moderate

VI Strong

VII Very Strong

VIII Severe

IX Violent

X Extreme

Shaking reported by 125 people in 2 countries

People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 125 people have reported shaking in 48 places in 2 countries (Spain, Morocco).We keep updating this article as more ground reports become available. You may report that you felt this earthquake here.

Places with most reports:

• Granada, Granada, Spain: 30 people.
• Málaga, Málaga, Spain: 16 people.
• Almuñécar, Granada, Spain: 7 people.
• Armilla, Granada, Spain: 5 people.
• Otura, Granada, Spain: 4 people.
• Fuengirola, Málaga, Spain: 4 people.
• Maracena, Granada, Spain: 3 people.
• Nerja, Málaga, Spain: 3 people.
• Torremolinos, Málaga, Spain: 3 people.
• Dúrcal, Granada, Spain: 2 people.

5 Aftershocks detected

Since this main shock, 5 smaller aftershocks were detected. Just 5 hrs after this main shock, an earthquake measuring MAG-3.3 was detected 9 km (5 mi) east of this earthquake.

In the days before this main shock, 1 smaller foreshock was detected. A 3.6 magnitude earthquake hit 6 hrs earlier nearby.

Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks

More earthquakes coming?

The risk of aftershocks decreases rapidly over time. Usually, aftershocks are at least one order of magnitude lower than a main shock.

The chance that a significant earthquake like this one is followed by an even larger earthquake is not so large. On average, scientists estimate a 94% chance that a major earthquake will not be followed by an even larger one. It is still adviced to be aware of this risk

This is the strongest earthquake in 4 years

Earthquakes of this strength are not so common in the region, but it's not the first time. This is the strongest earthquake to hit since May 20th, 2022, when a 5.5 magnitude earthquake hit 181 km (112 mi) further south. That was also the heaviest earthquake to hit the region in the past 10 years.

In total, 2 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 5 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

Sources

Last updated 07/09/26 00:48 (). 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.

1. US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us6000tkv2
2. European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260814_0000322
3. Geonames.org: World Cities Database
4. Google Maps: Static API
5. Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database

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