M5.6 Earthquake north of Ascension Island — August 2, 2026
2026-08-02 11:52:32 UTC (2026-08-02) · approx. 10:52 AM UTC-1 local
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On August 2, 2026 at 11:52 UTC, a magnitude 5.6 shallow crustal earthquake struck north of Ascension Island, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates -3.2640°, -12.2336°. This earthquake was detected by 115 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 482, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.6 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 4 kilotons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 4.4 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
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
Earthquake Details
-12.2336°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.6 earthquake north of Ascension Island?
The magnitude 5.6 earthquake that struck north of Ascension Island on August 2, 2026 at 11:52 UTC had a depth of 10.0 km. For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at -3.2640°, -12.2336°, which is north of Ascension Island.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.6 earthquakes can continue for days to weeks and gradually diminish over time.
Actions
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000thly). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2026, August 2, 2026). M5.6 Earthquake north of Ascension Island — August 2, 2026. Retrieved September 6, 2026 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000thly/