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Earthquake in Alaska today
Check recent earthquakes with reported epicentres inside Alaska. Filter by time and magnitude and open the original USGS report.
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Latest earthquakes
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This describes the available catalogue, not an all-clear. Try a longer period or check the latest known event below.
Where earthquakes happen in Alaska
The Aleutian megathrust
Along the Alaska Peninsula and the Aleutian Islands the Pacific plate dives beneath North America. This zone produced the 1964 Great Alaska earthquake (M9.2), the second-largest ever recorded, as well as Unimak 1946 and Chignik 2021 (M8.2).
Earthquakes beneath Anchorage
The 30 November 2018 earthquake (M7.1) occurred about 47 km deep inside the subducting plate, just north of Anchorage. It damaged roads and homes but caused no deaths, partly thanks to building codes adopted after 1964.
Interior faults
Large faults also cut the interior: the 2002 Denali Fault earthquake (M7.9) ruptured more than 300 km of fault and shook the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, which was designed to withstand it.
Major earthquakes
The strongest and most notable earthquakes in Alaska in the USGS catalogue (local dates):
- 9.2Mw
- 8.6Mw
- 8.6Mw
- 8.2Mww
- 7.9Mw
- 7.1Mww
Earthquakes and tsunamis in Alaska
Drop, cover and hold on. On the coast, if shaking is strong or lasts long, move to high ground immediately — local tsunamis in 1964 arrived within minutes.
The Alaska Earthquake Center reports local earthquakes; the National Tsunami Warning Center in Palmer issues tsunami alerts.
Frequently asked questions
Was there an earthquake in Alaska today?
The first panel shows the latest earthquake inside Alaska in the catalogue, in Alaska time. Alaska records thousands of earthquakes every year.
What was the biggest earthquake in Alaska?
The 27 March 1964 Great Alaska earthquake (M9.2), the largest in US history.
Does an Alaska earthquake threaten other coasts?
Large Aleutian earthquakes can send tsunamis to Hawaiʻi and the US West Coast, as in 1946 and 1964.
Latest known event
Latest known event · UTC
Sources and coverage
Source: USGS · GeoNames · CC BY 4.0 · Natural Earth
The location is the reported epicentre. Offshore context is separate from a position inside a country. Small-event coverage varies by region.
Historical context
The historical catalogue includes USGS M6+ from 1900, M4.5+ from 1970 and delivered events since the project began. It is not a complete record of all small earthquakes.