M4.5 earthquake 27 km NNE of Sand Point, Alaska
A magnitude 4.5 earthquake struck 27 km NNE of Sand Point, Alaska on Thu, Dec 21, 1978, 5:25 PM GMT-10 (03:25 UTC), 12 km (7 mi) below the surface.
A larger quake followed: M4.6 17 km SSW of Sand Point, Alaska. This one was a foreshock.
Map
Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Magnitude
- 4.5 (mb), light
- Local time
- UTC
- 1978-12-22 03:25:29 UTC
- Depth
- 12.0 km (7.5 mi), shallow
- Epicenter
- 55.575° N, 160.370° W
- Region
- Alaska
- Tsunami flag
- No
- Status
- Reviewed by a seismologist
Did you feel it?
No one has reported feeling this quake to the USGS.
How well it is located
Reviewed by a seismologist.
- Stations used
- 21
Nearest places
Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.
Nearby
Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 1 in the 60 days after this one and 0 in the 30 days before it.
After
Earthquakes todayAlaska earthquakesLive radar here
Sources
From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event usp0000y1a. Read Wed, Sep 30, 2026, 7:38 AM UTC.