EMSC · September 15, 2026

Magnitude 3.7 earthquake — 43 km S of ’Aïn Benian, Algeria

A magnitude 3.7 earthquake was recorded near 43 km S of ’Aïn Benian, Algeria on Sep 15, 2026, 01:40 AM (local time at the epicentre — UTC+1), at a depth of about 29.8 km, according to EMSC.

EMSCShallow (0–70 km)Reviewed by a seismologist

Updated 2026-09-15 02:46 UTC

The full record

Magnitude
M 3.7 · body-wave magnitude
Location
43 km S of ’Aïn Benian, Algeria
Local time at the epicentre
Sep 15, 2026, 01:40 AM — UTC+1
Time (UTC)
2026-09-15 00:40 UTC
Depth
29.8 km · Shallow (0–70 km)
Coordinates
37.180, 2.831
Felt reports
No “Did You Feel It?” reports submitted
Tsunami
No tsunami evaluation was flagged for this earthquake.
Review status
Reviewed by a seismologist
Catalog
EMSC (Centro Sismológico Euromediterráneo)

Open the official catalog record

Epicentre and nearby recent earthquakes

The highlighted circle is this earthquake. Smaller circles are other events recorded nearby in the last 30 days.

What the shaking was like

Shallow earthquakes release their energy close to the surface, so they are felt more strongly nearby than a deeper earthquake of the same magnitude.

No intensity estimate was published for this event, which is usual for small earthquakes far from populated areas.

Who lives nearby

About 0 people live in towns within 30 km of the epicentre, and 4,916,216 within 100 km. Distances are from the epicentre to the town centre.

PlaceDistancePopulation
’Aïn Benian42.7 km S31,102
Rais Hamidou43.5 km SSE30,000
Cheraga47.3 km SSE27,835
Zeralda52.1 km S17,563
Algiers54.8 km SSE2,364,230
Birkhadem55.3 km SSE71,722
Saoula55.6 km SSE16,812
Bordj el Bahri57.1 km SE52,816
Douéra57.6 km S46,266
Bordj el Kiffan57.7 km SE123,246

Earthquake history in this area

12 earthquakes of magnitude 4.5+ have been recorded within 200 km of this epicentre since 1960, in Spain.

Other earthquakes near this epicentre

3 other events within 100 km in the last 30 days.

Be first to know about the next earthquake near 43 km S of ’Aïn Benian, Algeria

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Frequently asked questions

How strong was the 43 km S of ’Aïn Benian, Algeria earthquake?

Magnitude 3.7 (body-wave magnitude), at a depth of 29.8 km. Shallow earthquakes release their energy close to the surface, so they are felt more strongly nearby than a deeper earthquake of the same magnitude.

Exactly when did it happen?

Sep 15, 2026, 01:40 AM (local time at the epicentre — UTC+1). In universal time: 2026-09-15 00:40 UTC.

Was it felt?

No “Did You Feel It?” reports were submitted for this event. Small earthquakes usually pass unnoticed except very close to the epicentre.

Was there a tsunami warning?

No tsunami evaluation was flagged for this earthquake.

Which towns are closest to the epicentre?

The closest is ’Aïn Benian, 42.7 km S (population 31,102).

Are earthquakes normal in this area?

Yes. The largest earthquake recorded within 200 km since 1960 was magnitude 7.3 (3 km NNE of Chlef, Algeria, 1980), and 3 further events were recorded within 100 km in the last 30 days.

How do I get alerts for the next earthquake here?

Install the free SeismoWatch Android app, draw a box over this area, set a minimum magnitude, and turn alerts on.

About this page

Event data: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) and, in Venezuela, FUNVISIS. Populated places and time zones: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). Preliminary solutions are revised as more observations arrive.