M6.0 Earthquake near Caluula, Somalia — 27 August 2026
A strong earthquake of magnitude 6.0 was recorded near Caluula, Somalia on , with an epicentre 145 km north of Caluula, at a focal depth of 10.0 km. It was the strongest of the 1 earthquakes recorded in Somalia in the preceding 30 days.
Time (UTC): 2026-08-27 21:07:38
Time (your timezone): —
Magnitude: 6.0 (strong)
Focal depth: 10.0 km (shallow)
Epicentre: 13.2654, 50.5425
Location: 145 km N of Caluula, Somalia
Country: Somalia
USGS link to NOAA tsunami information: Not linked
Review status: Reviewed
Source: USGS event page
How strong was this earthquake?
Strong earthquakes can cause significant damage in populated areas within roughly 100 km of the epicentre, particularly to older masonry buildings. Landslides and liquefaction become a real risk in susceptible ground.
A magnitude 6.0 earthquake radiates roughly 15,080 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.
The USGS assigns this earthquake a significance score of 554, which is below the USGS threshold of more than 600 for its significant-earthquake list. The ranking combines magnitude with available Did You Feel It responses and PAGER alert level; it is not a direct measurement of damage.
Where was the epicentre?
The epicentre was located at 13.2654, 50.5425 — 145 km north of Caluula. The closest other recorded event was a magnitude 4.3 earthquake 13 km east of here on 10 April 2025.
Why the 10 km depth matters
At 10 km this was a shallow earthquake. Shallow events release their energy close to the surface, so for a given magnitude they produce noticeably stronger shaking — and more damage — than deeper ones. Roughly three quarters of all earthquakes worldwide occur at shallow depths.
This catalogue does not ingest eyewitness responses, so it cannot confirm where this earthquake was felt. Based on magnitude alone, an event this size can produce strong, widely felt shaking. Its shallow focus makes stronger surface shaking more likely than for a deeper event of the same magnitude.
What does the tsunami information flag mean?
The USGS record does not carry a link to NOAA tsunami information. That field is not an all-clear and does not state whether a tsunami occurred. In this case, a damaging tsunami would be less likely because at M6.0 it falls below the magnitude 6.5 threshold that generally applies before a submarine earthquake displaces enough water to generate a damaging tsunami; it occurred inland rather than beneath the sea floor. For an active coastal alert, use tsunami.gov or your local warning authority.
How earthquakes generate tsunamis, and what the alert levels mean →
Aftershocks and local seismic history
No further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre since this event was recorded.
11 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 5.2 event near Bosaso on 20 March 2025. This M6.0 event released about 16 times more energy than that event.
How long aftershock sequences last, and how large they get →
Where this event sits in the record
This earthquake is part of the August 2026 worldwide record, and of earthquakes in Somalia during August 2026. Browse the full monthly archive to compare periods.
Nearest recorded earthquakes to this epicentre
- M4.3 earthquake near Caluula, Somalia — (13 km E)
- M5.1 earthquake near Caluula, Somalia — (37 km ENE)
- M4.6 earthquake near Caluula, Somalia — (60 km W)
- M4.5 earthquake near Caluula, Somalia — (84 km WSW)
- M4.4 earthquake near Mukalla, Yemen — (94 km W)
- M4.5 earthquake near Kilmia, Yemen — (123 km NE)
- M4.5 earthquake near Kilmia, Yemen — (149 km NE)
- M5.0 earthquake near Kilmia, Yemen — (151 km ENE)
Other recent earthquakes in Somalia
Other magnitude 6 earthquakes worldwide
- M6.0 earthquake near Lospalos, Timor-Leste —
- M6.0 earthquake near Honchō, Japan —
- M5.8 earthquake near Toride, Japan —
- M6.2 earthquake near Scotia Sea —
- M5.8 earthquake near Ruteng, Indonesia —
- M5.9 earthquake near Dunhuang, China —
- M5.8 earthquake near Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia —
- M6.1 earthquake near Port-Olry, Vanuatu —
Questions about this earthquake
How strong is a magnitude 6.0 earthquake?
Strong earthquakes can cause significant damage in populated areas within roughly 100 km of the epicentre, particularly to older masonry buildings. Landslides and liquefaction become a real risk in susceptible ground. A magnitude 6.0 earthquake radiates roughly 15,080 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.
How deep was the earthquake near Caluula?
At 10 km this was a shallow earthquake. Shallow events release their energy close to the surface, so for a given magnitude they produce noticeably stronger shaking — and more damage — than deeper ones. Roughly three quarters of all earthquakes worldwide occur at shallow depths.
Was the M6.0 earthquake near Caluula felt?
This catalogue does not ingest eyewitness responses, so it cannot confirm where this earthquake was felt. Based on magnitude alone, an event this size can produce strong, widely felt shaking. Its shallow focus makes stronger surface shaking more likely than for a deeper event of the same magnitude.
What does the USGS tsunami field mean for this event?
The USGS record does not carry a link to NOAA tsunami information. That field is not an all-clear and does not state whether a tsunami occurred. In this case, a damaging tsunami would be less likely because at M6.0 it falls below the magnitude 6.5 threshold that generally applies before a submarine earthquake displaces enough water to generate a damaging tsunami; it occurred inland rather than beneath the sea floor. For an active coastal alert, use tsunami.gov or your local warning authority.
Have there been aftershocks?
No further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre since this event was recorded.
How often do earthquakes happen near Caluula?
11 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 5.2 event near Bosaso on 20 March 2025. This M6.0 event released about 16 times more energy than that event.