M4.8 Earthquake 268 km SSE of Dunhuang, China — July 17, 2026
2026-07-17 01:08:11 UTC (2026-07-17) · approx. 7:08 AM UTC+6 local
On July 17, 2026 at 01:08 UTC, a magnitude 4.8 shallow crustal earthquake struck 268 km SSE of Dunhuang, China, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates 37.8295°, 95.4673°. This earthquake was detected by 106 seismic stations with good location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 354, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.8 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 239 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 1.2 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
Earthquake Details
95.4673°E
Technical Information
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Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.8 earthquake near Dunhuang, China?
The magnitude 4.8 earthquake that struck 268 km SSE of Dunhuang, China on July 17, 2026 at 01:08 UTC had a depth of 10.0 km. For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 37.8295°, 95.4673°, which is 268 km SSE of Dunhuang, China.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.8 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.
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Location
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000t171). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2026, July 17, 2026). M4.8 Earthquake 268 km SSE of Dunhuang, China — July 17, 2026. Retrieved August 2, 2026 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000t171/