Moderate magnitude 4.8 earthquake at 23 km depth19 Aug 16:25 UTC: First to report: PHIVOLCS after 3 minutes.Update Wed, 19 Aug 2026, 16:27Moderate magnitude 4.8 earthquake 81 km north of Sanchez-Mira, PhilippinesAn earthquake of magnitude 4.8 occurred after midnight on Thursday, August 20th, 2026, at 12:22 am local time near Sanchez-Mira, Cagayan, Cagayan Valley, Philippines, as reported by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS).According to preliminary data, the quake was located at a shallow depth of 23. km. Shallow earthquakes are felt more strongly than deeper ones as they are closer to the surface. The exact magnitude, epicenter, and depth of the quake might be revised within the next few hours or minutes as seismologists review data and refine their calculations, or as other agencies issue their report.Based on the preliminary seismic data, the quake should not have caused any significant damage, but was probably felt by many people as light vibration in the area of the epicenter.Weak shaking might have been felt in Namuac (pop. 3,000) located 75 km from the epicenter, Claveria (pop. 10,600) 75 km away, Santa Praxedes (pop. 4,600) 80 km away, Sanchez-Mira (pop. 26,300) 81 km away, and Aparri (pop. 68,400) 116 km away.VolcanoDiscovery will automatically update magnitude and depth if these change and follow up if other significant news about the quake become available. If you're in the area, please send us your experience through our reporting mechanism, either online or via our mobile app. This will help us provide more first-hand updates to anyone around the globe who wants to know more about this quake.If you were or still are in this area during the quake help others with your feedback and report it here.Download the Volcanoes & Earthquakes app and get one of the fastest seismic alerts online: Android | iOSI didn't feel itI felt this quakeEarthquake detailsDate & timeAug 19, 2026 16:22:00 UTC - Local time at epicenterThursday, Aug 20, 2026, at 12:22 am (Asia/Manila GMT +8)Statuspreliminary (automatic detection)Magnitude4.8Depth23 kmEpicenter latitude / longitude19.28°N / 121.12°EProvince of Cagayan, Cagayan Valley, PhilippinesSeismic antipode19.28°S / 58.88°WBoliviaShaking intensityIV Light shaking near epicenterFelt0 reportsPrimary data sourcePHIVOLCS (Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology)Nearest volcanoBabuyan Claro (90 km / 56 mi)Weather at epicenter at time of quakeLight Rain 27°C (81 F), humidity: 89%, wind: 10 m/s (19 kts) from SSWEstimated seismic energy released1 x 1012 joules (278 megawatt hours, equivalent to 239 tons of TNT) | equivalent to ONE quake of magnitude 4.8 | about seismic energy15 minutes agoAug 19, 2026 16:22 GMT / Aug 20, 2026 12:22 am (Manila time)Lat / Lng: 19.28 / 121.12: Philippines: 021 km N 26° W of Dalupiri Island (Calayan) (Cagayan)Source: PHIVOLCSDetail info | You felt it? - Report it!';storedMarkers.push(['quake-23293723',19.28000,121.12000,'15 minutes ago: Mag. 4.8, Philippines: 021 km N 26° W of Dalupiri Island (Calayan) (Cagayan)',html,'quakes-6-24.png',25,25,12,12,125]); function mkRep(id,notFelt){var nFelt=notFelt||false;var src="https://www.volcanoesandearthquakes.com/app/earthquake-report.php?quakeId="+id;if(nFelt==true){src+="¬Felt=true";}window.open(src,"","status=0,toolbar=0,location=0,directories=0,menubar=0,resizable=1,scrollbars=1,height=400,width=350");} function locationHashChanged(e){-1!=e.oldURL.indexOf("#popupMap")&&closePopup()} window.onhashchange = locationHashChanged; function comment(e){var t=e.parentNode,a=(t.dataset.id,document.getElementById("commentForm"));"none"==a.style.display?(t.appendChild(a),a.style.display="block"):a.style.display="none"}function sendComment(e){var t=e.parentNode,a=t.parentNode.dataset.id,n=document.getElementById("commentContent"),p=n.value.trim();if(p){var o="id="+a+"&quakeId="+thisQuakeId;o+="&comment="+decodeURIComponent(p),mkRequest("//reports.volcanodiscovery.com/app/eqReportComment.php","post",o,function(e){e.responseText;alert("Thank you for submitting your comment!"),t.style.display="none",n.value=""})}}function flagReport(e){var t=e.parentNode.dataset.id;if(confirm("Report this as inappropriate?")){var a="id="+t+"&quakeId="+thisQuakeId+"&flagAsInappropriate=1";mkRequest("//reports.volcanodiscovery.com/app/eqReportComment.php","post",a,function(t){var a=t.responseText;alert(a),e.style.display="none"})}}function likeReport(e){var t="id="+e.parentNode.dataset.id+"&quakeId="+thisQuakeId+"&like=1";mkRequest("//reports.volcanodiscovery.com/app/eqReportComment.php","post",t,function(t){t.responseText;e.style.opacity=.5})}]]>[smaller] [bigger]Most recent quakes Top 20 past 24 hrs Quakes in PhilippinesNearby placesThe closest larger town where the quake might have been felt is Sanchez-Mira, a town with 26,000 inhabitants in the Philippines, in 81 km (50 mi) distance south of the epicenter. People likely experienced weak shaking there. Several smaller towns and villages are located closer to the epicenter and might have experienced stronger shaking. In the capital of the Philippines, Manila, 520 km (323 mi) away from the epicenter, the earthquake could not be felt.The following table shows some of the places that might have been affected (or not) by the shaking.DistancePlaceMax. shaking intensity(*)RegionCountry75 km (46 mi)S of epicenterNamuac(pop: 3,040)III: WeakProvince of Cagayan, Cagayan ValleyPhilippines75 km (47 mi)S of epicenterClaveria(pop: 10,600)III: WeakProvince of Cagayan, Cagayan ValleyPhilippines81 km (50 mi)S of epicenterSanchez-Mira(pop: 26,300)III: WeakProvince of Cagayan, Cagayan ValleyPhilippines87 km (54 mi)SW of epicenterPagudpud(pop: 4,950)III: WeakProvince of Ilocos Norte, IlocosPhilippines93 km (58 mi)S of epicenterAdams(pop: 2,190)III: WeakProvince of Ilocos Norte, IlocosPhilippines93 km (58 mi)S of epicenterPamplona(pop: 2,130)III: WeakProvince of Cagayan, Cagayan ValleyPhilippines99 km (62 mi)S of epicenterAbulug(pop: 2,410)III: WeakProvince of Cagayan, Cagayan ValleyPhilippines106 km (66 mi)S of epicenterCalog Norte(pop: 2,960)III: WeakProvince of Cagayan, Cagayan ValleyPhilippines106 km (66 mi)SW of epicenterDavila(pop: 3,470)III: WeakProvince of Ilocos Norte, IlocosPhilippines109 km (68 mi)SE of epicenterMabuttal East(pop: 2,340)III: WeakProvince of Cagayan, Cagayan ValleyPhilippines116 km (72 mi)SE of epicenterAparri(pop: 68,400)III: WeakProvince of Cagayan, Cagayan ValleyPhilippines118 km (73 mi)SW of epicenterPasuquin(pop: 5,770)III: WeakProvince of Ilocos Norte, IlocosPhilippines122 km (76 mi)S of epicenterFlora(pop: 4,210)III: WeakApayao, Cordillera Administrative RegionPhilippines123 km (77 mi)S of epicenterCarasi(pop: 1,610)III: WeakProvince of Ilocos Norte, IlocosPhilippines125 km (77 mi)SE of epicenterPaddaya(pop: 4,440)III: WeakProvince of Cagayan, Cagayan ValleyPhilippines126 km (78 mi)S of epicenterAllacapan(pop: 3,650)III: WeakProvince of Cagayan, Cagayan ValleyPhilippines132 km (82 mi)SW of epicenterLaoag(pop: 112,100)III: WeakProvince of Ilocos Norte, IlocosPhilippines133 km (83 mi)SE of epicenterBuguey(pop: 3,110)III: WeakProvince of Cagayan, Cagayan ValleyPhilippines135 km (84 mi)SW of epicenterSan Nicolas(pop: 34,200)III: WeakProvince of Ilocos Norte, IlocosPhilippines138 km (86 mi)S of epicenterDingras(pop: 6,870)III: WeakProvince of Ilocos Norte, IlocosPhilippines140 km (87 mi)SE of epicenterMagapit(pop: 11,200)III: WeakProvince of Cagayan, Cagayan ValleyPhilippines141 km (87 mi)S of epicenterKabugao(pop: 2,340)III: WeakApayao, Cordillera Administrative RegionPhilippines141 km (87 mi)SE of epicenterSanta Ana(pop: 6,320)III: WeakProvince of Cagayan, Cagayan ValleyPhilippines141 km (88 mi)NE of epicenterSabtang(pop: 1,700)III: WeakProvince of Batanes, Cagayan ValleyPhilippines144 km (90 mi)S of epicenterLasam(pop: 6,350)III: WeakProvince of Cagayan, Cagayan ValleyPhilippines146 km (91 mi)SE of epicenterCasambalangan(pop: 3,280)III: WeakProvince of Cagayan, Cagayan ValleyPhilippines146 km (91 mi)SE of epicenterGonzaga(pop: 7,230)III: WeakProvince of Cagayan, Cagayan ValleyPhilippines148 km (92 mi)SW of epicenterBatac City(pop: 56,800)III: WeakProvince of Ilocos Norte, IlocosPhilippines151 km (94 mi)SE of epicenterPalagao Norte(pop: 2,950)III: WeakProvince of Cagayan, Cagayan ValleyPhilippines153 km (95 mi)S of epicenterEspiritu(pop: 3,570)III: WeakProvince of Ilocos Norte, IlocosPhilippines155 km (96 mi)SE of epicenterCapissayan Sur(pop: 2,880)III: WeakProvince of Cagayan, Cagayan ValleyPhilippines158 km (98 mi)NE of epicenterBasco(pop: 9,650)III: WeakProvince of Batanes, Cagayan ValleyPhilippines160 km (100 mi)SW of epicenterPinili(pop: 2,310)III: WeakProvince of Ilocos Norte, IlocosPhilippines161 km (100 mi)SE of epicenterDalaoig(pop: 2,490)III: WeakProvince of Cagayan, Cagayan ValleyPhilippines196 km (122 mi)S of epicenterTuguegarao(pop: 167,300)II: Very weakProvince of Cagayan, Cagayan ValleyPhilippines520 km (323 mi)S of epicenterManila(pop: 1,600,000)I: Not feltCapital, National Capital RegionPhilippinesNotes:(*) Shaking intensity according to the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale (MMI) and estimated using seismic models.User-reports for this quakeThere are no user reports for this quake yet.If you felt it, be the first to report it!Get the Android appCompare Quake DataData for the same earthquake as reported by different agenciesThe more agencies report about the same quake and post similar data, the more confidence you can have in the data. It takes normally up to a few hours until earthquake parameters are calculated with near-optimum precision.MagDepthTime GMT2026-08-19EpicenterAgency4.823 km14 mi16:22:00021 km N 26° W of Dalupiri Island (Calayan) (Cagayan)PHIVOLCS (Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology)Aftershocks for this quakeNo aftershocks have been recorded so far. When aftershocks are detected, we will update this section.What are aftershocks?Larger earthquakes (above magnitude 5 or so) such as this one are usually followed by smaller ones known as aftershocks that occur in the same area during the days, weeks, months or even years after the main shock.[More info]What about this quake?Based on its magnitude, the fault that was active during the quake likely ruptured beneath a surface area of approximately 6 km2 (2 square miles) as a first-order estimate. The length of the rupture zone thus was probably around 4 km (3 mi).[More info]Recorded aftershocks, latest first (0 quake)Aug 20, 2026 12:22 am (Manila)15 minutes ago4.823 km0 km - This quakeSouth China Sea, 36 km W of Calayan Island, PhilippinesMain Shock (this quake)MoreMap of aftershocksEarthquake statisticsAverage number of earthquakesBased on data from the past 26 years and our earthquake archive back to 1900, there are about 486 quakes on average per year in the area near the epicenter of this quake (within 100 km/61 mi):Mag. 6 or higher: 0.21 quakes per year (or 1 quake every 4.8 years)Mag. 5 or higher: 4.4 quakes per yearMag. 4 or higher: 27.1 quakes per yearMag. 3 or higher: 119 quakes per year (or 9.9 quakes per month)Mag. 2 or higher: 402 quakes per year (or 33.5 quakes per month)Mag. 1 or higher: 486 quakes per year (or 41 quakes per month)The area where this quake occurred has a very high level of seismic activity. It has had at least 26 quakes above magnitude 6 since 1900, which suggests that larger earthquakes of this size occur infrequently, probably on average approximately every 1 to 5 years.Number of quakes per yearPrevious quakes in the same area of this earthquakeThe earthquake occurred 12 hours after a magnitude 4.8 earthquake had hit on Wednesday, Aug 19, 2026, at 12:22 pm local time (Asia/Manila GMT +8) in 26 km (16 mi) distance to the southeast:Mag. 4.8 earthquake South China Sea - 25 km southwest of Calayan Island, Philippines -The largest quake near the epicenter of this quake during the 10 years before was an event of magnitude 7.0. It had occurred 4 years earlier, on Wednesday, Jul 27, 2022, at 08:43 am local time (Asia/Manila GMT +8) in Cordillera Administrative Region, Philippines:Mag. 7.0 earthquake Province of Abra - 46 km east of Vigan, Philippines - Jul 27, 2022 -The strongest-ever (since 1900) recorded quake in this area measured magnitude 7.5. It had occurred 93 years ago earlier, on Wednesday, Feb 14, 1934, at 03:59 am local time (Universal Time GMT +0) in Ilocos, Philippines:Mag. 7.5 earthquake South China Sea - 140 km northwest of Santiago Island, Philippines - Feb 14, 1934 -Below is a list and map of larger or recent quakes that had occurred near the epicenter before this earthquake (within up to 100 km/61 mi distance, up to 300 km/183 mi for very large quakes above mag. 7). Filter and sort the list by magnitude or time.Max results102050100AllMagnitudeAll2+3+4+5+6+7+8+Time before48 hours1 week30 days1 year5 years30 yearsAny ageDate and TimeMagDepthDistanceLocationDetailsMapAug 19, 12:22 pm (Manila)4.810 km26 km (16 mi) to the SESouth China Sea, 25 km southwest of Calayan Island, Philippines I FELT ITInfoJul 20, 06:23 pm (GMT +8)4.011 km95 km (59 mi) to the NESouth China Sea, 64 km northeast of Calayan Island, PhilippinesInfoJul 17, 05:40 pm (Manila)4.638 km8 km (5 mi) to the WSouth China Sea, 44 km west of Calayan Island, Philippines 1 reportInfoJul 16, 09:15 am (GMT +8)4.810 km47 km (29 mi) to the NESouth China Sea, 33 km north of Calayan Island, PhilippinesInfoJul 16, 05:33 am (GMT +8)4.735 km56 km (35 mi) to the NESouth China Sea, 46 km north of Calayan Island, PhilippinesInfoMay 14, 06:01 am (Manila)5.335 km29 km (18 mi) to the SESouth China Sea, 35 km southwest of Calayan Island, Philippines 4 reportsInfoFeb 22, 06:40 pm (Manila)5.140 km12 km (7.6 mi) to the NESouth China Sea, 29 km west of Calayan Island, PhilippinesInfoFeb 12, 10:02 pm (GMT +8)4.831 km79 km (49 mi) to the NESouth China Sea, 66 km north of Calayan Island, PhilippinesInfoSep 12, 2023 07:03 pm (Manila)6.231 km12 km (7.8 mi) to the SESouth China Sea, 26 km southwest of Calayan Island, Philippines 28 reportsInfoJul 27, 2022 08:43 am (Manila)7.034 km198 km (123 mi) to the S 11 km NE of Bantay, Philippines 2352 reportsInfoJul 1, 2022 02:40 am (Manila)6.030 km36 km (23 mi) to the SESouth China Sea, 81 km northwest of Aparri, Philippines 111 reportsInfoJan 15, 2012 12:36 am (Manila)5.817 km9.5 km (5.9 mi) to the SESouth China Sea, 37 km north of Mabaag Island, PhilippinesInfoMar 20, 2011 04:26 pm (Manila)6.027 km34 km (21 mi) to the SESouth China Sea, 44 km southwest of Calayan Island, PhilippinesInfoSep 30, 2010 05:00 pm (GMT +8)5.815 km60 km (37 mi) to the NESouth China Sea, 41 km north of Calayan Island, PhilippinesInfoJun 1, 2008 09:57 am (GMT +8)6.331 km97 km (60 mi) to the NSouth China Sea, 74 km southwest of Basco, PhilippinesInfoMar 3, 2008 09:49 pm (GMT +8)6.010 km74 km (46 mi) to the NSouth China Sea, 66 km north of Calayan Island, PhilippinesInfoDec 26, 2006 08:26 pm (GMT +8)7.110 km286 km (178 mi) to the NSouth China Sea, 31 km southwest of Hengchun, TaiwanInfoJun 19, 2006 09:26 am (GMT +8)6.24 km93 km (58 mi) to the SWSouth China Sea, 87 km north of Laoag, PhilippinesInfoMay 14, 2002 03:57 am (Manila)5.833 km21 km (13 mi) to the SESouth China Sea, 32 km southwest of Calayan Island, PhilippinesInfoMar 14, 2001 04:04 am (Manila)5.733 km57 km (36 mi) to the SSouth China Sea, 64 km northwest of Aparri, PhilippinesInfoFeb 7, 1999 01:45 am (Manila)6.033 km18 km (11 mi) to the SESouth China Sea, 25 km southwest of Calayan Island, PhilippinesInfoMay 6, 1998 09:53 am (Manila)5.833 km66 km (41 mi) to the SSouth China Sea, 68 km northeast of Laoag, PhilippinesInfoMay 22, 1997 09:21 pm (Manila)6.134 km47 km (29 mi) to the SESouth China Sea, 48 km south of Calayan Island, PhilippinesInfoJan 19, 1997 12:33 pm (Manila)5.933 km84 km (52 mi) to the NSouth China Sea, 78 km southwest of Basco, PhilippinesInfoJun 6, 1995 04:20 am (Manila)5.848 km98 km (61 mi) to the S 38 km northeast of Laoag, Province of Ilocos Norte, Ilocos, PhilippinesInfoFeb 11, 1987 02:12 pm (Manila)6.024 km52 km (32 mi) to the SSouth China Sea, Cagayan Valley, 81 km northeast of Laoag, PhilippinesInfoFeb 19, 1986 07:40 pm (Manila)6.077 km42 km (26 mi) to the SESouth China Sea, 46 km south of Calayan Island, PhilippinesInfoDec 28, 1982 09:49 pm (Manila)6.034 km79 km (49 mi) to the NSouth China Sea, 68 km north of Calayan Island, PhilippinesInfoApr 17, 1982 05:20 pm (GMT +8)6.210.3 km91 km (56 mi) to the NWSouth China Sea, 114 km northwest of Calayan Island, PhilippinesInfoNov 22, 1981 11:05 pm (Manila)6.524 km66 km (41 mi) to the SWSouth China Sea, 67 km northeast of Laoag, PhilippinesInfoAug 26, 1979 10:31 pm (Manila)7.115 km105 km (65 mi) to the ESouth China Sea, 25 km northeast of Camiguin Island, PhilippinesInfoMar 7, 1965 04:23 am (GMT +8)6.045 km101 km (63 mi) to the NSouth China Sea, 64 km southwest of Basco, PhilippinesInfoJun 6, 1963 01:18 pm (GMT +8)6.025 km89 km (56 mi) to the NWSouth China Sea, 112 km northwest of Calayan Island, PhilippinesInfoJun 23, 1962 05:58 pm (Manila)6.367 km25 km (16 mi) to the SESouth China Sea, 27 km southwest of Calayan Island, PhilippinesInfoDec 3, 1958 05:48 pm (Manila)6.130 km18 km (11 mi) to the SSouth China Sea, 42 km southwest of Calayan Island, PhilippinesInfoMar 29, 1954 12:01 pm (GMT +8)6.125 km47 km (29 mi) to the NESouth China Sea, 37 km north of Calayan Island, PhilippinesInfoJun 1, 1951 04:55 am (Manila)6.261 km60 km (37 mi) to the SSouth China Sea, Cagayan Valley, 78 km northeast of Laoag, PhilippinesInfoDec 29, 1949 03:03 am (Universal Time)7.215 km209 km (130 mi) to the S 8.4 km southeast of Tabuk, PhilippinesInfoMar 3, 1948 09:09 am (Universal Time)7.115 km238 km (148 mi) to the W 176 km W of Davila, PhilippinesInfoMay 23, 1938 08:21 am (Universal Time)7.015 km182 km (113 mi) to the SWSouth China Sea, 62 km west of Laoag, PhilippinesInfoMar 31, 1938 10:31 pm (Universal Time)6.215 km95 km (59 mi) to the NWSouth China Sea, 122 km northwest of Calayan Island, PhilippinesInfoAug 22, 1936 06:51 am (Universal Time)7.115 km299 km (186 mi) to the NPhilippine Sea, 33 km west of Lan Yu Island, TaiwanInfoFeb 14, 1934 03:59 am (Universal Time)7.515 km277 km (172 mi) to the SWSouth China Sea, 140 km northwest of Santiago Island, PhilippinesInfoOct 28, 1931 05:35 am (Universal Time)6.125 km52 km (32 mi) to the SWSouth China Sea, Cagayan Valley, 80 km north of Laoag, PhilippinesInfoApr 16, 1925 07:52 pm (Universal Time)7.115 km279 km (173 mi) to the NPhilippine Sea, 44 km southeast of Hengchun, TaiwanInfoMay 16, 1922 08:06 am (Universal Time)6.135 km87 km (54 mi) to the NWSouth China Sea, 105 km northwest of Calayan Island, PhilippinesInfoSep 13, 1918 02:55 pm (Manila)7.00 km152 km (94 mi) to the NE 5.8 km south of Basco, Province of Batanes, Cagayan Valley, PhilippinesInfoMay 25, 1907 11:32 pm (GMT +8)7.00 km185 km (115 mi) to the SWSouth China Sea, 67 km west of Laoag, PhilippinesInfoOct 17, 1906 09:40 am (Universal Time)7.360 km34 km (21 mi) to the SSouth China Sea, 61 km southwest of Calayan Island, PhilippinesInfoMap of earlier quakes in the area of this quakeMax results102050100AllMagnitudeAll2+3+4+5+6+7+8+Time before48 hours1 week30 days1 year5 years30 yearsAny ageOldest quakes are shown in yellow, most recent in red.[quakes -][quakes +][smaller][bigger]Lat / Lng: 19.28 / 121.12: Philippines: 021 km N 26° W of Dalupiri Island (Calayan) (Cagayan)Lat / Lng: 19.28 / 121.12: Philippines: 021 km N 26° W of Dalupiri Island (Calayan) (Cagayan)