M3.8 earthquake 2 km ESE of Houston, Alaska
A magnitude 3.8 earthquake struck 2 km ESE of Houston, Alaska on Sun, Feb 17, 1985, 5:53 AM AKST (14:53 UTC), 39 km (24 mi) below the surface.
A larger quake followed: M4.1 35 km NW of Willow, Alaska. This one was a foreshock.
Map
Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Magnitude
- 3.8 (ml), minor
- Local time
- UTC
- 1985-02-17 14:53:41 UTC
- Depth
- 39.4 km (24.5 mi), shallow
- Epicenter
- 61.624° N, 149.775° 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: 4 in the 60 days after this one and 1 in the 30 days before it.
After
- 4.135 km NW of Willow, Alaska · 15181 days ago · 10 km deep · 55 km away
- 3.24 km SE of Big Lake, Alaska · 15168 days ago · 43 km deep · 16 km away
- 3.13 km SE of Big Lake, Alaska · 15166 days ago · 42 km deep · 16 km away
- 2.75 km WSW of Knik, Alaska · 15141 days ago · 47 km deep · 20 km away
Before
Earthquakes todayAlaska earthquakesLive radar here
Sources
From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event usp0002bze. Read Tue, Sep 29, 2026, 4:13 AM UTC.