In the Gulf Of Aden 265 kilometer from Bosaso, Somalia, a shallow and strong MAG-6.0 earthquake occurred just after midnight of Friday August 28th, 2026. Shaking may have been felt by a total of 1.2 million people. Another nearby country is Yemen.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the Gulf Of Aden, 145 kilometers (90 mi) off the coast of Somalia, 265 kilometer north-east of Bosaso in Gobolka Bari. 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 28, 2026 12:07AM (Aden Time) - Aug 27, 2026 21:07 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 209 km SE of Mukalla, Muhafazat Hadramaout, Yemen. Coordinates 13°15'55"N 50°32'33"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 6.0 Detected by 40 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.049 . |
| Depth: | 10 km (6 mi) A very shallow depth. |
| Max. Intensity: | IV
Light On the Modified Mercalli Scale. |
| Tsunami Risk: | Low tsunami risk Earthquakes under MAG-6.5 do not usually 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 1.2 million people exposed to shaking
The USGS has published a report estimating the number of people exposed to this earthquake. Acoording to their analysis, roughly 1.2 million have been exposed to shaking at an MMI level of II or higher.
An estimated 66,270 people were exposed to level IV. At this level, light shaking and likely no damage can be expected. Intensity level III was experienced by the majority of people (around 1.1 million). In their region, weak shaking and probably no damage can be expected.
People in 2 countries have been exposed to shaking. Roughly 1 million people were exposed to shaking in Yemen , with level IV (light shaking, likely no damage) as the highest recorded. In Somalia , around 110 thousand people.
| People | MMI Level | Shaking | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | I |
Not noticable | None |
| 0 | II |
Very weak | None |
| 1,089,000 | III |
Weak | Probably none |
| 66,270 | IV |
Light | Likely none |
| 0 | V |
Moderate | Very light |
| 0 | 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
2 countries can be found within 300km of the epicenter of this earthquake: Yemen and Somalia .
Located 209 kilometer (130 mi) south-east of the epicenter of this earthquake, Mukalla (Muhafazat Hadramaout, Yemen) is the nearest significant population center. Mukalla experienced an earthquake intensity (MMI Scale) of roughly III. That level implies weak shaking and probably no damage.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place | Intensity (MMI) |
|---|---|---|
| 209 km (130 mi) NW from epicenter |
Mukalla Muhafazat Hadramaout, Yemen. |
III
Weak |
| 212 km (132 mi) S from epicenter |
Qandala Gobolka Bari, Somalia. |
III
Weak |
| 265 km (165 mi) SW from epicenter |
Bosaso Gobolka Bari, Somalia. |
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 IV.
Risk of aftershocks?
This earthquake did not have any significant foreshocks nor aftershocks occurring within 100km (62 mi) of its epicenter.
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
Read: How to Stay Safe during an Earthquake (cdc.gov).This is the strongest earthquake in 8 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 July 15th, 2018, when a 6 magnitude earthquake hit 143 km (89 mi) further north-east. That was also the heaviest earthquake to hit the region in the past 10 years.
In total, 2 earthquakes with a magnitude of 6 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.
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 6. 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 28/08/26 07:08 (). This article contains currently available information about the earthquake and is automatically composed. We continue to update this article up to a few days after the earthquake occurred.
- US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us7000tcf3
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260827_0000300
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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