M5.1 Earthquake 20 km NW of Liuzhou, China — May 18, 2026
2026-05-18 13:44:26 UTC (2026-05-18) · approx. 8:44 PM UTC+7 local
Felt by 13 people across nearby locations. Maximum shaking intensity MMI 6.7 (very strong).
On May 18, 2026 at 13:44 UTC, a magnitude 5.1 shallow crustal earthquake struck 20 km NW of Liuzhou, China, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates 24.4416°, 109.2566°. The earthquake was reported felt by 13 peopleacross nearby locations, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 6.7 (very strong). The USGS PAGER system issued a orange alert level for this event, indicating regional impact possible. This earthquake was detected by 138 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 1007, making it one of the most significant global earthquakes in recent days. The nearest populated place is Liuzhou (population 4,157,934).
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.1 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 674 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 2.0 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
Nearest Populated Places
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 13 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 | 325,017 |
| MMI 4 | light | 29,889,768 |
| MMI 5 | moderate | 2,435,140 |
| MMI 6 | strong | 197,714 |
| MMI 7 | very strong | 8,537 |
Earthquake Details
109.2566°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.1 earthquake near Liuzhou, China?
The magnitude 5.1 earthquake that struck 20 km NW of Liuzhou, China on May 18, 2026 at 13:44 UTC had a depth of 10.0 km. It was felt by 13 people with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 6.7 (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 24.4416°, 109.2566°, which is 20 km NW of Liuzhou, China. The nearest populated place is Liuzhou (population 4,157,934).
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.1 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: us6000syik). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2026, May 18, 2026). M5.1 Earthquake 20 km NW of Liuzhou, China — May 18, 2026. Retrieved June 21, 2026 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000syik/