Alaska earthquakes

M3.9 earthquake 39 km WNW of Happy Valley, Alaska

A magnitude 3.9 earthquake struck 39 km WNW of Happy Valley, Alaska on Thu, Mar 5, 1981, 8:44 PM GMT-10 (06:44 UTC), 104 km (64 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M4.1 15 km W of Salamatof, Alaska. This one was a foreshock.

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Map

Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.

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The earthquake

Magnitude
3.9 (mb), minor
Local time
UTC
1981-03-06 06:44:31 UTC
Depth
103.7 km (64.4 mi), intermediate-depth
Epicenter
60.052° N, 152.415° 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.

Nearest places

Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 6 in the 60 days after this one and 1 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 4.115 km W of Salamatof, Alaska · 16596 days ago · 83 km deep · 75 km away
  2. 4.00 km S of Port Graham, Alaska · 16587 days ago · 33 km deep · 85 km away
  3. 4.080 km NW of Ninilchik, Alaska · 16587 days ago · 135 km deep · 55 km away
  4. 4.356 km W of Nanwalek, Alaska · 16581 days ago · 129 km deep · 75 km away
  5. 3.866 km W of Nanwalek, Alaska · 16578 days ago · 115 km deep · 80 km away
  6. 4.044 km ENE of Pedro Bay, Alaska · 16578 days ago · 142 km deep · 57 km away

Before

  1. 4.168 km W of Nanwalek, Alaska · 16659 days ago · 109 km deep · 91 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event usp0001cjm. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 10:20 AM UTC.