M5.0 Earthquake 38 km SSE of Spearman, Texas — July 23, 2026
2026-07-23 10:21:43 UTC (1 hour ago) · approx. 3:21 AM UTC-7 local
Felt by 255 people across surrounding communities. Maximum shaking intensity MMI 6.0 (very strong).
On July 23, 2026 at 10:21 UTC, a magnitude 5.0 shallow crustal earthquake struck 38 km SSE of Spearman, Texas, at a depth of 5.7 km and coordinates 35.9020°, -100.9760°. The earthquake was reported felt by 255 peopleacross surrounding communities, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 6.0 (very strong). The USGS PAGER system issued a green alert level for this event, indicating no significant casualties or damage expected. This earthquake was detected by 14 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 553, placing it among routine seismic activity. The nearest populated place is Pampa (population 16,817).
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.0 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 477 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 1.7 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
The epicenter is located in Texas, a region characterized by a mix of natural intraplate seismicity and induced events in the Permian Basin linked to wastewater disposal. View all earthquakes in Texas.
Learn more: Magnitude scale · Aftershock sequences
Nearest Populated Places
What the Shaking Felt Like
At MMI 6.0 (very strong), people in the most strongly affected areas would have experienced: Strong shaking felt by everyone. Heavy furniture may move. Books fall from shelves. Plaster and chimneys may crack. Damage is generally slight in well-built structures.
ShakeMap — predicted shaking intensity
Modeled ground-motion intensity contoured on the Modified Mercalli scale (MMI). Computed by the USGS from the moment-tensor solution and regional ground-motion prediction equations.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey ShakeMap. View interactive ShakeMap on USGS
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 255 citizen responses to the USGS Did You Feel It? system. Each colored zone represents the average MMI from reports in that area.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey Did You Feel It?. View on USGS · submit your own report
Population exposure (USGS PAGER)
Estimated population that experienced each level of shaking. Based on the USGS PAGER rapid impact assessment, which combines ShakeMap output with global population grids.
| Shaking intensity (MMI) | Description | Population exposed |
|---|---|---|
| MMI 3 | weak | 592,292 |
| MMI 4 | light | 151,448 |
| MMI 5 | moderate | 58 |
| MMI 6 | strong | 1 |
Earthquake Details
-100.9760°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.0 earthquake near Spearman, Texas?
The magnitude 5.0 earthquake that struck 38 km SSE of Spearman, Texas on July 23, 2026 at 10:21 UTC had a depth of 5.7 km. It was felt by 255 people with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 6.0 (very strong). For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 35.9020°, -100.9760°, which is 38 km SSE of Spearman, Texas. The nearest populated place is Pampa (population 16,817). View all earthquakes in Texas.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.0 earthquakes can continue for days to weeks and gradually diminish over time.
Has Texas had earthquakes this big before?
The largest recorded earthquake in Texas was the M5.8 Valentine earthquake of August 16, 1931. Today's magnitude 5.0 event is within one magnitude unit of that historical record.
Actions
Location
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: tx2026ojlaky). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2026, July 23, 2026). M5.0 Earthquake 38 km SSE of Spearman, Texas — July 23, 2026. Retrieved July 23, 2026 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/tx2026ojlaky/