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 11 earthquakes, the largest an M4.3 (151 km SW of Adak, Alaska).
Counts include M2.5+ events — the smallest size USGS reports consistently worldwide.
Recent earthquakes
| Magnitude | Time (UTC) | Depth | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| M3.9 | Sep 12, 06:38 UTC | 77 km | 62 km S of Cantwell, Alaska |
| M2.9 | Sep 12, 05:08 UTC | 131 km | 47 km E of Pedro Bay, Alaska |
| M2.7 | Sep 12, 00:28 UTC | 24 km | 22 km SSW of Sunrise, Alaska |
| M2.5 | Sep 11, 19:48 UTC | 20 km | 104 km SSE of Old Harbor, Alaska |
| M3.2 | Sep 11, 19:17 UTC | 15 km | 107 km SE of Akhiok, Alaska |
| M3.3 | Sep 11, 19:14 UTC | 10 km | 263 km SSE of Perryville, Alaska |
| M2.6 | Sep 11, 14:05 UTC | 88 km | 174 km W of Adak, Alaska |
| M2.5 | Sep 11, 11:40 UTC | 17 km | 152 km SW of Adak, Alaska |
| M2.5 | Sep 11, 11:11 UTC | 24 km | 135 km SW of Adak, Alaska |
| M4.3 | Sep 11, 10:52 UTC | 14 km | 151 km SW of Adak, Alaska |
| M3.1 | Sep 11, 10:51 UTC | 19 km | 152 km SW of Adak, Alaska |
| M5.3 | Sep 11, 10:47 UTC | 41 km | 151 km WSW of Adak, Alaska |
| M4.5 | Sep 11, 07:31 UTC | 43 km | 92 km S of False Pass, Alaska |
| M4.0 | Sep 11, 07:10 UTC | 27 km | 41 km NNW of Glacier View, Alaska |
| M2.5 | Sep 11, 07:06 UTC | 19 km | 59 km S of Kaktovik, Alaska |
| M2.9 | Sep 11, 02:56 UTC | 61 km | 56 km SW of Nanwalek, Alaska |
| M4.0 | Sep 10, 23:03 UTC | 5 km | 8 km SE of Port Clarence, Alaska |
| M2.6 | Sep 10, 21:25 UTC | 127 km | 69 km ESE of Denali National Park, Alaska |
| M2.6 | Sep 10, 15:25 UTC | 6 km | 117 km E of Chignik, Alaska |
| M2.5 | Sep 10, 08:59 UTC | 52 km | 33 km W of Port Lions, Alaska |
| M3.1 | Sep 10, 07:06 UTC | 5 km | 219 km SE of Chiniak, Alaska |
| M4.2 | Sep 10, 05:18 UTC | 16 km | 66 km WNW of Lake Louise, Alaska |
| M2.5 | Sep 10, 02:30 UTC | 11 km | 108 km S of Nikolski, Alaska |
| M3.6 | Sep 10, 02:22 UTC | 5 km | 16 km ESE of Denali National Park, Alaska |
| M2.8 | Sep 9, 22:01 UTC | 68 km | 7 km SW of Cohoe, Alaska |
Notable recent activity
A moderate M5.3 earthquake struck 151 km WSW of Adak, Alaska at 10:47 UTC on Sep 11 at a depth of 41 km.
An M4.9 earthquake struck 80 km SSW of Nikolski, Alaska at 18:00 UTC on Sep 5 at a depth of 35 km.
An M4.5 earthquake struck 92 km S of False Pass, Alaska at 07:31 UTC on Sep 11 at a depth of 43 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.