EMSC · September 18, 2026

Magnitude 1.6 earthquake near Loja, Spain

A magnitude 1.6 earthquake was recorded near 8 km SW of Alhama de Granada, Spain on Sep 18, 2026, 01:37 PM (local time at the epicentre — UTC+2), at a depth of about 7.5 km, according to EMSC.

EMSCShallow (0–70 km)Reviewed by a seismologist

Updated 2026-09-18 12:46 UTC

The full record

Magnitude
M 1.6 · local (Richter) magnitude
Location
8 km SW of Alhama de Granada, Spain
Local time at the epicentre
Sep 18, 2026, 01:37 PM — UTC+2
Time (UTC)
2026-09-18 11:37 UTC
Depth
7.5 km · Shallow (0–70 km)
Coordinates
37.061, -3.925
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 227,679 people live in towns within 30 km of the epicentre, and 2,837,170 within 100 km. Distances are from the epicentre to the town centre.

PlaceDistancePopulation
Alhama de Granada8.3 km SW6,080
Agrón9.3 km ESE300
Ventas de Huelma9.4 km E659
Arenas del Rey11.8 km SSE1,978
Chimeneas12.1 km NE1,472
Moraleda de Zafayona12.3 km NNW2,730
Escúzar14.6 km E745
Jayena15.4 km SE1,241
Salar15.9 km NW2,772
Láchar17.0 km NNE2,765

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

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

Be first to know about the next earthquake near 8 km SW of Alhama de Granada, Spain

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Frequently asked questions

How strong was the 8 km SW of Alhama de Granada, Spain earthquake?

Magnitude 1.6 (local (Richter) magnitude), at a depth of 7.5 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 18, 2026, 01:37 PM (local time at the epicentre — UTC+2). In universal time: 2026-09-18 11:37 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 Alhama de Granada, 8.3 km SW (population 6,080).

Are earthquakes normal in this area?

Yes. The largest earthquake recorded within 200 km since 1960 was magnitude 6.3 (49 km NNE of Al Hoceïma, Morocco, 2016), and 245 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), in Venezuela FUNVISIS and in Brazil the RSBR through the Centro de Sismologia da USP. Populated places and time zones: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). Preliminary solutions are revised as more observations arrive.