On Wednesday Night a Shallow M5.5 Earthquake struck 270km from Dunhuang in China.

Written by Earthquakelist.org on August 18th, 2026. Last updated September 10th, 2026.

In the early morning of Wednesday August 19th, 2026, a shallow and significant MAG-5.5 earthquake hit under land 270 kilometer from Dunhuang in China. Shaking may have been felt by a total of 370 thousand people.

Earthquake Summary

The earthquake struck on land in China, 270 kilometer (168 mi) south of Dunhuang in Gansu. The center of this earthquake had a very shallow depth of 6 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.

Date and Time:	Aug 19, 2026 05:36 (Shanghai Time) - Aug 18, 2026 21:36 Universal Time.
Location:	270 km south of Dunhuang, Gansu, China. Coordinates 37°50'33"N 95°34'17"E.
Map:	Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps.
Magnitude:	MAG 5.5 Detected by 50 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.044 .
Depth:	6 km (4 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.

Minimal impact predicted

Based on scientific estimates by the US Geographic Survey (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 GREEN (low). They expect an 90% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 million US Dollars in economic damage and impact.

Roughly 370 thousand people exposed to shaking

The USGS has published a report estimating the number of people exposed to this earthquake. Acoording to their analysis, roughly 370 thousand have been exposed to shaking at an MMI level of II or higher.

Strong shaking and probably light damage may have been experienced by an estimated 20 people. At VI, it is the highest MMI level this earthquake has caused. Intensity level III was experienced by the majority of people (around 340 thousand). In their region, weak shaking and probably no damage can be expected. All exposure to shaking was within the borders of China .

People	MMI Level	Shaking	Damage
0	I	Not noticable	None
30	II	Very weak	None
344,700	III	Weak	Probably none
14,070	IV	Light	Likely none
7,990	V	Moderate	Very light
20	VI	Strong	Light
0	VII	Very Strong	Moderate
0	VIII	Severe	Moderate to heavy
0	IX	Violent	Heavy
0	X	Extreme	Very heavy

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 270 kilometer (168 mi) south of the epicenter.

Overview of nearby places

Cities and Towns around the epicenter of this earthquake.
Distance	Place
270 km (168 mi) N from epicenter	Dunhuang Gansu, China.
290 km (180 mi) NE from epicenter	Laojunmiao Gansu, China.

Earthquake Intensity Map

The intensity in shaking and damage by this earthquake is illustrated through the map below. The highest intensity measured 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

Earthquake Intensity Map based on Shakemap Data provided by USGS.

4 Aftershocks detected

After this earthquake struck, 4 smaller aftershocks occurred. A 5.2 magnitude earthquake hit 2 days later 12 km (7 mi) west of this earthquake.

Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks

Detected MAG2.5+ earthquakes within within 100km (62 mi), that occurred in the three days before and after the main shock.
Classification	Magnitude	When	Where
Main Shock This Earthquake	M 5.5	Aug 19, 2026 05:36 (Shanghai Time)	-
Aftershock	M 4.4	23 mins later Aug 19, 2026 05:59 (Shanghai Time)	17 km (10 mi) SW from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 4.7	8 hrs later Aug 19, 2026 13:22 (Shanghai Time)	4 km (2.7 mi) W from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 5.2	2 days later Aug 20, 2026 17:49 (Shanghai Time)	12 km (7 mi) W from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 4.5	2 days later Aug 20, 2026 18:05 (Shanghai Time)	26 km (16 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.

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

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. This is the strongest earthquake to hit since June 16th, 2026, when a 6.3 magnitude earthquake hit 9 km (5 mi) further northwest. That was also the heaviest earthquake to hit the region in the past 10 years.

In total, 4 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.5 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

DISCLAIMER: We strongly suggest to closely monitor advice from local authorities with regards to tsunami risks. Our analysis is based on automatically collected data from external sources, and these might contain mistakes. In addition, earthquakes can cause landslides that may lead to a tsunami, or be a followed by another, potentially stonger, earthquake.

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 5.5. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami.	This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 6 km (4 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami.

Sources

Last updated 10/09/26 00:28 (). 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.