M3.5 earthquake 3 km ENE of Sterling, Alaska
A magnitude 3.5 earthquake struck 3 km ENE of Sterling, Alaska on Sat, May 27, 1978, 5:50 AM GMT-9 (14:50 UTC), 38 km (24 mi) below the surface.
A larger quake followed: M4.0 11 km E of Fox River, Alaska. This one was a foreshock.
Map
Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Magnitude
- 3.5 (ml), minor
- Local time
- UTC
- 1978-05-27 14:50:09 UTC
- Depth
- 38.0 km (23.6 mi), shallow
- Epicenter
- 60.545° N, 150.702° 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
- 20
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 usp0000usp. Read Wed, Sep 23, 2026, 3:31 AM UTC.