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M5.3 Earthquake near 132 km ENE of Santa Cruz das Flores, Portugal

UTC time: 2026-07-21 13:13:11 UTC Local time: —
Earthquake newsQuakeMap24
Archive record · original publication time was not recorded

Automatically generated from measurement data by QuakeMap24. Values may change after further analysis. How our reports are produced ↗

Magnitude
M5.3
Depth
6.7 km
Source
USGS

132 km ENE of Santa Cruz das Flores, Portugal

Map

M5.3 Earthquake near 132 km ENE of Santa Cruz das Flores, Portugal · 2026-07-21 — Map showing the location of the epicenter
M5.3 Earthquake near 132 km ENE of Santa Cruz das Flores, Portugal · 2026-07-21 — Map showing the location of the epicenter

About this earthquake

A magnitude M5.3 earthquake was recorded near 132 km ENE of Santa Cruz das Flores, Portugal on July 21, 2026 at 13:13 UTC. The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 7 km, increasing how strongly it was felt. Earthquakes of this magnitude can damage poorly built structures.

The data is provided by USGS and cross-checked across seismological networks.

Details

ID
f0c737096c1b6b1a7e0ee538b41c12ff683d1591
Magnitude
M5.3
Depth
6.7 km
UTC time
2026-07-21 13:13:11 UTC
Local time
—
Country
—
Source
usgs
Coordinates
39.93710, -29.71750
Temperature
20.4°C

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 6.7 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 6.7 km
Shallow
6.7 km
Why depth matters

Shallow quakes release energy near the surface — shaking is felt more strongly and damage potential is higher.

Depth classes per USGS

Estimated impact

Green No or minimal impact expected.

Ground shaking

III
Weak · Intensity (MMI) III
Felt by a few, no damage.

Tectonic context

Located on the North America Plate.
Near the boundary North America ↔ Eurasia · about 8 km away

Nearby population centers

Distances are straight-line distances from the epicenter. Population data: GeoNames.

PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation
Ponta Delgada427.3 kmSE20'056

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Flores
    Distance: 139 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 914 m ·Last eruption: -950 ·Portugal
  • Fayal
    Distance: 174 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'041 m ·Last eruption: 1958 ·Portugal
  • Graciosa
    Distance: 181 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 402 m ·Last eruption: -1950 ·Portugal
  • Pico
    Distance: 199 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'351 m ·Last eruption: 1720 ·Portugal
  • Sao Jorge
    Distance: 201 km ·Fissure vent ·Elevation: 1'053 m ·Last eruption: 1902 ·Portugal
  • Terceira
    Distance: 246 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 1'023 m ·Last eruption: 2000 ·Portugal

Subsequent earthquakes nearby

Events recorded after this earthquake within 150 km. They are not automatically classified as aftershocks.

First 6 hours4
First 24 hours6
First 72 hours7
Strongest subsequent eventM3.7
M3.22026-07-21 13:33:06 UTC20.5 kmAZORES ISLANDS, PORTUGAL M3.52026-07-21 13:47:17 UTC28.0 kmAZORES ISLANDS REGION M3.52026-07-21 18:16:41 UTC11.0 kmAZORES ISLANDS REGION M3.02026-07-21 18:28:17 UTC15.4 kmAZORES ISLANDS REGION M2.92026-07-21 19:32:03 UTC11.1 kmAZORES ISLANDS REGION M2.42026-07-22 08:12:42 UTC11.4 kmAZORES ISLANDS, PORTUGAL M2.62026-07-22 22:58:20 UTC22.2 kmAZORES ISLANDS REGION M2.32026-07-27 23:18:19 UTC15.5 kmAZORES ISLANDS, PORTUGAL M2.12026-08-04 18:45:09 UTC141.1 kmAZORES ISLANDS, PORTUGAL M3.72026-08-12 13:33:00 UTC148.9 kmAZORES ISLANDS, PORTUGAL M2.72026-08-12 14:56:04 UTC53.4 kmAZORES ISLANDS, PORTUGAL M2.32026-08-13 03:59:37 UTC130.8 kmAZORES ISLANDS, PORTUGAL

Comparison of seismic sources

4 sources currently report magnitudes from M4.6 to M5.3.

Measurements can differ because agencies use different networks and calculation methods. Values may be revised.

SourceMagnitudeDepthPosition difference
USGSM5.36.7 km0.0 km
EMSCM5.310.0 km35.9 km
GFZM4.910.0 km32.4 km
SERBIA_RSZM4.610.0 km46.2 km

No unambiguous area assignment

Context for this earthquake

This event has no unambiguous country assignment in the analysed catalogue. It is therefore not assigned to a regional profile.

Earthquake overview

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#1
Earlier events M≥45
Earlier events M≥50
Compared since2025-02-16

The QuakeMap24 comparison dataset begins on 2024-03-23. Earlier earthquakes may not be included.

Strongest earlier events

M4.92026-03-02 14:59:06 UTC29.8 kmAzores Islands, Portugal M4.62026-07-11 01:33:18 UTC108.7 kmAzores Islands Region M4.42025-02-21 04:51:37 UTC141.5 km46 km W of Santa Cruz da Graciosa, Portugal M4.22025-02-16 21:42:04 UTC17.2 km148 km ENE of Santa Cruz das Flores, Portugal M4.12025-11-07 19:49:25 UTC126.4 kmAZORES ISLANDS, PORTUGAL

Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)
504
Country (24h)
—
—
Current earthquakes in
Magnitude Place Local time
No recent events available.

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