M5.0 Earthquake 17 km SE of Malatya, Turkey — July 18, 2026
2026-07-18 03:21:00 UTC (2 hours ago) · approx. 6:21 AM UTC+3 local
On July 18, 2026 at 03:21 UTC, a magnitude 5.0 shallow crustal earthquake struck 17 km SE of Malatya, Turkey, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates 38.2608°, 38.4814°. This earthquake was detected by 66 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 385, placing it among routine seismic activity.
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.
The epicenter is located in Turkey, a region characterized by the North Anatolian Fault, a 1,500 km transform boundary driven by the westward extrusion of the Anatolian microplate. The nearest mapped fault system is the North Anatolian Fault. View all earthquakes in Turkey.
Learn more: Magnitude scale · Aftershock sequences
Earthquake Details
38.4814°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.0 earthquake near Malatya, Turkey?
The magnitude 5.0 earthquake that struck 17 km SE of Malatya, Turkey on July 18, 2026 at 03:21 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 38.2608°, 38.4814°, which is 17 km SE of Malatya, Turkey. View all earthquakes in Turkey.
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.
Has Turkey had earthquakes this big before?
The largest recorded earthquake in Turkey was the M7.8 Kahramanmaraş earthquake of February 6, 2023. Today's magnitude 5.0 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000t1j0). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2026, July 18, 2026). M5.0 Earthquake 17 km SE of Malatya, Turkey — July 18, 2026. Retrieved July 18, 2026 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000t1j0/