M4.2 earthquake 46 km SE of Adak, Alaska

A magnitude 4.2 earthquake struck 46 km SE of Adak, Alaska on Sun, Dec 29, 1996, 2:27 PM HAST (00:27 UTC), 41 km (26 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M4.7 41 km E of Adak, Alaska. This one was a foreshock.

Map

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

Different scales measure different things and differ by a few tenths. The USGS marks one as preferred, and it is the one this page uses.

Mag.	Scale	Computed by	Notes
4.2	mb, body-wave	USGS National Earthquake Information Center	Preferred · Reviewed · 7 stations
4.2	mb, body-wave	Alaska Earthquake Center	Preliminary

No one has reported feeling this quake to the USGS.

Reviewed by a seismologist.

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 7 in the 60 days after this one and 22 in the 30 days before it.

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event usp0007v63 (also filed as ak996grnbgv1). Read Thu, Oct 1, 2026, 2:12 PM UTC.