Recent earthquakes in Alaska
Alaska sits above the Alaska-Aleutian subduction zone, where the Pacific Plate dives beneath North America along a 3,000 km arc, making it the most seismically active state in the U.S. The 1964 Great Alaska earthquake (M9.2) is the largest ever recorded in North America. Inland faults such as the Denali Fault add crustal earthquakes. In the past 24 hours, Alaska has recorded 6 earthquakes, the largest an M3.7 (16 km E of Susitna North, Alaska).
Counts include M2.5+ events — the smallest size USGS reports consistently worldwide.
Recent earthquakes
| Magnitude | Time (UTC) | Depth | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| M3.7 | Oct 27, 17:16 UTC | 14 km | 16 km E of Susitna North, Alaska |
| M2.8 | Oct 27, 15:54 UTC | 74 km | 13 km SW of Tyonek, Alaska |
| M2.7 | Oct 27, 10:44 UTC | 0 km | 126 km SSE of Unalaska, Alaska |
| M2.8 | Oct 27, 08:49 UTC | 10 km | 247 km ESE of Chiniak, Alaska |
| M2.5 | Oct 27, 06:42 UTC | 18 km | 80 km E of Chignik, Alaska |
| M3.3 | Oct 26, 20:10 UTC | 10 km | 272 km SE of Chiniak, Alaska |
| M2.8 | Oct 26, 14:02 UTC | 5 km | 88 km ENE of McCarthy, Alaska |
| M4.6 | Oct 26, 11:38 UTC | 35 km | 81 km SSE of Akutan, Alaska |
| M4.6 | Oct 25, 17:49 UTC | 153 km | 153 km WNW of Adak, Alaska |
| M2.7 | Oct 25, 14:31 UTC | 10 km | 69 km SE of Yakutat, Alaska |
| M2.9 | Oct 25, 10:32 UTC | 10 km | 297 km WSW of Pelican, Alaska |
| M2.7 | Oct 25, 10:17 UTC | 10 km | 188 km SSE of Old Harbor, Alaska |
| M2.9 | Oct 25, 07:46 UTC | 80 km | 35 km WNW of Kalifornsky, Alaska |
| M4.3 | Oct 25, 07:45 UTC | 35 km | 81 km SSE of Akutan, Alaska |
| M4.6 | Oct 25, 07:44 UTC | 35 km | 82 km SSE of Akutan, Alaska |
| M2.5 | Oct 25, 07:08 UTC | 0 km | 38 km SSW of Dry Creek, Alaska |
| M3.3 | Oct 24, 22:35 UTC | 76 km | 52 km SSW of Cantwell, Alaska |
| M2.7 | Oct 24, 15:54 UTC | 2 km | 108 km NNE of Arctic Village, Alaska |
| M2.5 | Oct 24, 10:20 UTC | 13 km | 30 km W of Anderson, Alaska |
| M4.5 | Oct 24, 08:33 UTC | 35 km | 81 km SSE of Akutan, Alaska |
| M3.3 | Oct 24, 05:58 UTC | 10 km | 108 km NNE of Arctic Village, Alaska |
| M3.5 | Oct 24, 05:57 UTC | 206 km | 11 km NNE of Atka, Alaska |
| M2.8 | Oct 24, 05:03 UTC | 123 km | 71 km ESE of Denali National Park, Alaska |
| M2.8 | Oct 24, 03:05 UTC | 199 km | 29 km WNW of Atka, Alaska |
| M3.1 | Oct 24, 02:14 UTC | 0 km | 286 km SW of Yakutat, Alaska |
Notable recent activity
An M4.6 earthquake struck 81 km SSE of Akutan, Alaska at 11:38 UTC on Oct 26 at a depth of 35 km.
An M4.6 earthquake struck 82 km SSE of Akutan, Alaska at 07:44 UTC on Oct 25 at a depth of 35 km.
An M4.6 earthquake struck 100 km NNW of Nikolski, Alaska at 23:08 UTC on Oct 23 at a depth of 230 km.
Frequently asked questions
Why does Alaska have so many earthquakes?
Alaska lies along the Alaska-Aleutian subduction zone, where the Pacific Plate subducts beneath North America. This produces frequent great megathrust earthquakes offshore, deep intraslab events, and crustal earthquakes on inland faults like the Denali Fault.
What was the 1964 Alaska earthquake?
The March 27, 1964 Great Alaska earthquake, magnitude 9.2, is the largest recorded in North American history and the second-largest ever measured. It caused widespread ground failure and a major tsunami across south-central Alaska.
How often do big earthquakes hit Alaska?
Alaska records thousands of earthquakes a year and more magnitude 7 events than the rest of the United States combined. Many occur along the sparsely populated Aleutian arc, limiting damage despite their size.
Nearby regions
Live data from the USGS earthquake feeds. Magnitudes and depths are automated readings and may be revised. Not for emergency use.