A magnitude 5.5 earthquake was recorded near 268 km SSE of Dunhuang, China on Aug 18, 2026, 9:36:27 PM (2026-08-18T21:36:27.970Z). The earthquake occurred at a depth of 6.0 km with coordinates 37.8507, 95.5688.
Moderate — widely felt, limited damage likely. This was a magnitude 5.5 earthquake — classed as moderate. Magnitude 5.0–5.9 earthquakes can damage poorly built buildings near the epicentre and are felt over a wide area.
At 6.0 km this is a shallow earthquake. Shallow quakes release their energy close to the surface, so shaking is usually stronger and more damaging than a deeper quake of the same magnitude — but it is felt over a smaller area.
Nearest major city: 942 km SE of Ürümqi, China.
The epicentre was located at 37.8507 latitude and 95.5688 longitude near 268 km SSE of Dunhuang, China. The earthquake was shallow at 6.0 km depth.
View recent earthquakes worldwide
Data source: USGS Earthquake Hazards Program event page. This page is generated from live USGS GeoJSON feed data.
Data source: USGS Earthquake Hazards Program. Enable JavaScript for the live interactive map.