Earthquakes medium

M 5.0 Earthquake South Atlantic Ocean August 2026

Source: USGS · South Atlantic Ocean

A magnitude 5.0 earthquake was recorded by USGS near South Atlantic Ocean. On the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program scale, M5.0 is classified "Moderate". Among the 1,740 earthquake reports Areazine has published, this M5.0 event ranks stronger than 55% of them (rank #612 by magnitude).

The earthquake report, at a glance

Magnitude
M 5.0
USGS class
Moderate
Location
South Atlantic Ocean
Archive rank
#612 of 1,740
Source
USGS
Published
September 17, 2026
MODERATE

Sits above 55% of the 1,740 earthquakes in the archive by magnitude; 611 ran stronger.

Record status: USGS's reading at the moment of detection — the agency keeps revising magnitude, aftershock counts, and felt reports on its own event page as more data arrives.

What Happened

A magnitude 5.0 mb earthquake struck the South Atlantic Ocean on August 17, 2026, at 12:08:41 UTC. The event was recorded at a depth of 10 km.

Location Details

The earthquake was located at latitude -22.5873, longitude -20.3463 in the South Atlantic Ocean. A depth of 10 km is considered shallow.

Impact Assessment

No felt reports were recorded. There was no tsunami advisory (tsunami flag: 0) and no alert level was issued.

What You Should Know

Earthquakes of this magnitude are classified as moderate and can cause damage to poorly constructed buildings. Aftershocks are possible following any earthquake.

Source

Data from USGS: https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/us7000thzz

Original source: USGS Official Notice ↗

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Comparable nationwide notices (length or severity timing) 8

Two cross-category peer sets, both computed from Areazine's own archive: notices with a similar body length, and notices near the same severity and agency date. These are drawn from other categories, not the same-feed Related list above.

Similar body length

Nearest notices by article body length (724 characters here).

Planned Burn Hazard Reduction in Bulli, Wollongong Area 724 chars IntelliCuff® Recall Issued by Health Canada 724 chars Yellow Warning: Severe Thunderstorm in Effect for B.C. North Peace River 724 chars Levothyroxine Sodium Tablets Recall by Major Pharmaceuticals 724 chars

Similar severity timing

Same severity (medium) notices issued closest in time to September 17, 2026.

Yellow Frost Advisory for Corner Brook and Vicinity medium Advice: Grass Fire on Taralga Rd, Goulburn medium Bush Fire Alert: Marthaguy Rd, Tenandra medium Bushfire Alert on Old Northern Rd, Dural medium

What People Ask

Questions readers often have about this USGS earthquake report.

What was the magnitude of this event? ▾
A magnitude 5.0 mb earthquake occurred in the South Atlantic Ocean at a depth of 10 km.
What does an M5.0 "Moderate" reading actually indicate? ▾
The USGS classifies M5.0 as "Moderate" on its Earthquake Hazards Program scale. Events in this range are often felt near the epicenter and can cause minor damage to vulnerable structures, though widespread damage is uncommon.
Is this earthquake stronger or weaker than others in the archive? ▾
This is the #612 strongest of the 1,740 earthquake reports in Areazine's archive by magnitude, stronger than 55% of them and weaker than 611 others.
Was South Atlantic Ocean likely to feel this earthquake? ▾
Whether an earthquake is felt depends on its depth, distance from population centers, and local geology, not magnitude alone. Check the USGS "Did You Feel It?" report for this event for real felt-shaking data.

Where this data comes from

EPA Outdoor Air Quality Data

Federal monitoring network, every measurement we report

AirNow (EPA / NOAA)

Real-time AQI for every monitored U.S. location

National Weather Service

Active watches, warnings, and advisories, NOAA

CDC Air Quality & Health

Health-impact reference behind every AQI category