M5.0 Earthquake 56 km W of Sines, Portugal — August 26, 2024
2024-08-26 04:11:37 UTC (2024-08-26) · approx. 3:11 AM UTC-1 local
Felt by 2,859 people across a wide area. Maximum shaking intensity MMI 4.6 (moderate).
On August 26, 2024 at 04:11 UTC, a magnitude 5.0 shallow crustal earthquake struck 56 km W of Sines, Portugal, at a depth of 6.6 km and coordinates 38.0222°, -9.5047°. The earthquake was reported felt by 2,859 peopleacross a wide area, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 4.6 (moderate). The USGS PAGER system issued a green alert level for this event, indicating no significant casualties or damage expected. This earthquake was detected by 107 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 875, making it one of the more significant events of the week. The nearest populated place is Arrentela (population 30,156).
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.
Nearest Populated Places
What the Shaking Felt Like
At MMI 4.6 (moderate), people in the most strongly affected areas would have experienced: Mild shaking, similar to a passing truck. Hanging objects swing. Glasses and dishes may rattle. Not commonly felt outdoors.
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 2,859 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 | 1,134,145 |
| MMI 4 | light | 2,952,524 |
| MMI 5 | moderate | 39 |
Earthquake Details
-9.5047°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.0 earthquake near Sines, Portugal?
The magnitude 5.0 earthquake that struck 56 km W of Sines, Portugal on August 26, 2024 at 04:11 UTC had a depth of 6.6 km. It was felt by 2,859 people with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 4.6 (moderate). For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 38.0222°, -9.5047°, which is 56 km W of Sines, Portugal. The nearest populated place is Arrentela (population 30,156).
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.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000n9fh). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2024, August 26, 2024). M5.0 Earthquake 56 km W of Sines, Portugal — August 26, 2024. Retrieved January 5, 2026 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000n9fh/