5.9

M5.9 Earthquake 168 km SE of Khovd, MongoliaApril 26, 2026

2026-04-26 04:23:24 UTC (2 hours ago) · approx. 10:23 AM UTC+6 local

Felt by 1 person across nearby locations. Maximum shaking intensity MMI 7.5 (severe).

MagnitudeM5.9(mb)
Time04:23 UTC10:23 AM UTC+6
Depth10.0 kmshallow crustal
Coordinates46.789°, 92.968°
Felt by1DYFI response· max MMI 7.5
Status✓ Reviewed by USGS· green PAGER
green Alertno significant casualties or damage expected

On April 26, 2026 at 04:23 UTC, a magnitude 5.9 shallow crustal earthquake struck 168 km SE of Khovd, Mongolia, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates 46.7887°, 92.9681°. The earthquake was reported felt by 1 personacross nearby locations, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 7.5 (severe). The USGS PAGER system issued a green alert level for this event, indicating no significant casualties or damage expected. This earthquake was detected by 110 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 536, placing it among routine seismic activity. The nearest populated place is Hovd (population 26,023).

Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.9 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 11 kilotons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 7.1 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.

Nearest Populated Places

Hovdpop. 26,023
MMI 3.7 (light)
Jargalantpop. 5,216
MMI 3.4 (light)
Rashaantpop. 6,994
MMI 3.3 (light)
Map showing earthquake epicenter at 46.79°, 92.97°

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.

USGS ShakeMap intensity contours for the M5.9 earthquake near 168 km SE of Khovd, Mongolia

Source: U.S. Geological Survey ShakeMap. View interactive ShakeMap on USGS

Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking

Aggregated felt-report intensity from 1 citizen response to the USGS Did You Feel It? system. Each colored zone represents the average MMI from reports in that area.

USGS DYFI community-reported intensity map for the M5.9 earthquake near 168 km SE of Khovd, Mongolia

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)DescriptionPopulation exposed
MMI 3weak21,012
MMI 4light106,219
MMI 5moderate6,587
MMI 6strong3,633
MMI 7very strong484

Earthquake Details

Magnitude
5.9 mb
Depth
10.0 km
shallow crustal
Location
46.7887°N
92.9681°E
Felt Reports
1
DYFI responses
Intensity (MMI)
7.5
severe
Community Intensity
2.7
CDI from reports

Technical Information

Event ID
us6000ssxt
Event Type
earthquake
Status
✓ Reviewed
Significance
536
Stations Used
110
Azimuthal Gap
23.0°
Min Station Distance
7.331°
RMS Residual
0.98 sec
Last Updated
2026-04-26 05:21:15 UTC

Common Questions

How strong was the magnitude 5.9 earthquake near Khovd, Mongolia?

The magnitude 5.9 earthquake that struck 168 km SE of Khovd, Mongolia on April 26, 2026 at 04:23 UTC had a depth of 10.0 km. It was felt by 1 person with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 7.5 (severe). For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.

Where did the earthquake occur?

The earthquake epicenter was located at 46.7887°, 92.9681°, which is 168 km SE of Khovd, Mongolia. The nearest populated place is Hovd (population 26,023).

Were there aftershocks?

Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.9 earthquakes can continue for days to weeks and gradually diminish over time.

What should I do after an earthquake?

If you were in the affected area: check yourself and others for injuries, inspect your home for damage, and be prepared for aftershocks. For detailed guidance, see our earthquake safety guide and emergency planning resources.

Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000ssxt). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.

Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2026, April 26, 2026). M5.9 Earthquake 168 km SE of Khovd, MongoliaApril 26, 2026. Retrieved April 26, 2026 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000ssxt/