A shallow and significant MAG-5.2 earthquake struck in the Mindanao Sea 49 kilometer from Butuan, The Philippines in the late afternoon of Friday August 21st, 2026.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the Mindanao Sea, right off the coast of The Philippines (10 mi offshore), 49 kilometer northwest of Butuan in Caraga. 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 21, 2026 05:12PM (Manila Time) - Aug 21, 2026 09:12 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 49 km NW of Butuan, Caraga, The Philippines. Coordinates 9°20'18"N 125°20'31"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.2 Detected by 179 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.043 . |
| Depth: | 10 km (6 mi) A very shallow depth. |
| Tsunami Risk: | Low tsunami risk Earthquakes under MAG-6.5 do not usually cause tsunami's. Always stay cautious - More info here. |
Nearby towns and cities
This earthquake may have been felt in The Philippines . The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Cabadbaran in Caraga, The Philippines. Cabadbaran is located 32 kilometer (20 mi) northwest of the epicenter.
Multiple large cities are in proximity of today's earthquake. Butuan is located 49 km to the south-east. Libertad is located 47 km to the south. Budta is located 257 km to the south.
A complete list of nearby places is included below.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 32 km (20 mi) SE from epicenter |
Cabadbaran Caraga, The Philippines. |
| 41 km (25 mi) S from epicenter |
Buenavista Caraga, The Philippines. |
| 47 km (29 mi) S from epicenter |
Libertad Caraga, The Philippines. |
| 49 km (30 mi) SE from epicenter |
Butuan Caraga, The Philippines. |
| 53 km (33 mi) N from epicenter |
Surigao Caraga, The Philippines. |
| 61 km (38 mi) SW from epicenter |
Mariano Northern Mindanao, The Philippines. |
| 80 km (50 mi) SE from epicenter |
Bayugan Caraga, The Philippines. |
| 98 km (61 mi) E from epicenter |
Tandag Caraga, The Philippines. |
| 100 km (62 mi) SW from epicenter |
Jasaan Northern Mindanao, The Philippines. |
| 103 km (64 mi) SE from epicenter |
Bah-Bah Caraga, The Philippines. |
| 104 km (65 mi) NW from epicenter |
Maasin Eastern Visayas, The Philippines. |
| 109 km (68 mi) SE from epicenter |
Talacogon Caraga, The Philippines. |
| 110 km (68 mi) SW from epicenter |
Tagoloan Northern Mindanao, The Philippines. |
| 111 km (69 mi) SE from epicenter |
San Francisco Caraga, The Philippines. |
| 112 km (70 mi) W from epicenter |
Jagna Central Visayas, The Philippines. |
| 112 km (70 mi) SW from epicenter |
Bugo Northern Mindanao, The Philippines. |
| 120 km (75 mi) SW from epicenter |
Manolo Fortich Northern Mindanao, The Philippines. |
| 122 km (76 mi) SW from epicenter |
Cagayan de Oro Northern Mindanao, The Philippines. |
| 133 km (83 mi) S from epicenter |
Malaybalay Northern Mindanao, The Philippines. |
| 159 km (99 mi) SW from epicenter |
Iligan City Soccsksargen, The Philippines. |
| 162 km (101 mi) S from epicenter |
NIA Valencia Northern Mindanao, The Philippines. |
| 164 km (102 mi) SE from epicenter |
Bislig Caraga, The Philippines. |
| 167 km (104 mi) W from epicenter |
Tagbilaran City Central Visayas, The Philippines. |
| 173 km (107 mi) SW from epicenter |
Iligan Northern Mindanao, The Philippines. |
| 179 km (111 mi) S from epicenter |
Maramag Northern Mindanao, The Philippines. |
| 180 km (112 mi) SW from epicenter |
Mantampay Northern Mindanao, The Philippines. |
| 183 km (114 mi) NW from epicenter |
Cordova Central Visayas, The Philippines. |
| 187 km (116 mi) NW from epicenter |
Lapu-Lapu City Central Visayas, The Philippines. |
| 187 km (116 mi) SE from epicenter |
Monkayo Davao, The Philippines. |
| 189 km (117 mi) NW from epicenter |
Liloan Central Visayas, The Philippines. |
| 189 km (117 mi) SW from epicenter |
Marawi City Rehiyong Autonomo sa Muslim na Mindanao, The Philippines. |
| 190 km (118 mi) NW from epicenter |
Mandaue City Central Visayas, The Philippines. |
| 191 km (119 mi) NW from epicenter |
Consolacion Central Visayas, The Philippines. |
| 192 km (119 mi) NW from epicenter |
Talisay Central Visayas, The Philippines. |
| 193 km (120 mi) NW from epicenter |
Cebu City Central Visayas, The Philippines. |
| 194 km (121 mi) SW from epicenter |
Oroquieta Northern Mindanao, The Philippines. |
| 195 km (121 mi) NW from epicenter |
Danao Central Visayas, The Philippines. |
| 197 km (122 mi) NW from epicenter |
Minglanilla Central Visayas, The Philippines. |
| 202 km (126 mi) NW from epicenter |
Ormoc Eastern Visayas, The Philippines. |
| 212 km (132 mi) SW from epicenter |
Ozamiz City Northern Mindanao, The Philippines. |
| 215 km (134 mi) N from epicenter |
Tacloban Eastern Visayas, The Philippines. |
| 216 km (134 mi) S from epicenter |
Magugpo Poblacion Davao, The Philippines. |
| 216 km (134 mi) N from epicenter |
Panalanoy Eastern Visayas, The Philippines. |
| 219 km (136 mi) NW from epicenter |
Toledo Central Visayas, The Philippines. |
| 224 km (139 mi) W from epicenter |
Dumaguete Central Visayas, The Philippines. |
| 254 km (158 mi) S from epicenter |
Davao Davao, The Philippines. |
| 257 km (160 mi) S from epicenter |
Budta Rehiyong Autonomo sa Muslim na Mindanao, The Philippines. |
| 260 km (162 mi) S from epicenter |
Malingao Soccsksargen, The Philippines. |
| 264 km (164 mi) SW from epicenter |
Cotabato Rehiyong Autonomo sa Muslim na Mindanao, The Philippines. |
| 269 km (167 mi) SW from epicenter |
Pagadian Zamboanga Peninsula, The Philippines. |
| 296 km (184 mi) NW from epicenter |
Mansilingan Western Visayas, The Philippines. |
Shaking reported by 5 people
People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 5 people have reported shaking in 5 places, all within Philippines.We keep updating this article as more ground reports become available. You may report that you felt this earthquake here.
Places with most reports:
- Butuan, Caraga, Philippines: 1 person.
- Gingoog, Northern Mindanao, Philippines: 1 person.
- Dapa, Caraga, Philippines: 1 person.
- Barra, Northern Mindanao, Philippines: 1 person.
- Purok, Caraga, Philippines: 1 person.
4 Aftershocks detected
After this earthquake struck, 4 smaller aftershocks occurred. A 5.1 magnitude earthquake hit 10 mins later 31 km (19 mi) north-east of this earthquake.
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main Shock This Earthquake |
M 5.2 |
Aug 21, 2026 05:12PM (Manila Time) | - |
| Aftershock | M 5.1 |
10 mins later Aug 21, 2026 05:22PM (Manila Time) | 31 km (19 mi) NE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.2 |
1 hr later Aug 21, 2026 06:13PM (Manila Time) | 15 km (10 mi) E from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.1 |
1 hr later Aug 21, 2026 06:35PM (Manila Time) | 16 km (10 mi) SE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.2 |
2 hrs later Aug 21, 2026 07:20PM (Manila Time) | 19 km (11 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.
It's always adviced to be cautious of the risk of a larger shock following any significant earthquake, however this risk is fairly small. There is a roughly 94 percent change that no larger main shock will follow in the days following this 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 July 27th, 2026, when a 5.3 magnitude earthquake hit 242 km (150 mi) further south-east. An even stronger magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck on December 2nd, 2023.
In total, 163 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 22 days.
Low tsunami risk
Based on early data it appears this earthquake was not strong enough (lower than MAG-6.5) to be likely to cause destructive tsunami's. However this earthquake appeared to have hit at a shallow depth under sea, so 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 | This earthquake appears to have struck under the sea. | 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 21/08/26 19:58 (). 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 us6000tmer
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260821_0000189
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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