Alaska earthquakes

M2.9 earthquake 8 km S of Gateway, Alaska

A magnitude 2.9 earthquake struck 8 km S of Gateway, Alaska on Fri, Sep 5, 1997, 1:58 PM AKDT (21:58 UTC), 34 km (21 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M4.6 22 km SSE of Susitna, 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: 2.9 (ML, local (Richter)), micro
Magnitude from: Alaska Earthquake Center
Local time: Fri, Sep 5, 1997, 1:58 PM AKDT
UTC: 1997-09-05 21:58:35 UTC
Depth: 34.3 km (21.3 mi), shallow
Epicenter: 61.497° N, 149.217° W
Region: Alaska
Tsunami flag: No
Status: Reviewed by a seismologist

Magnitude estimates

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
2.9	ML, local (Richter)	Alaska Earthquake Center	Preferred · Preliminary
3.0	ML, local (Richter)	USGS National Earthquake Information Center	Reviewed

What happened

The USGS’s account of the effects of this earthquake.

Felt at Palmer.

From the USGS event page for ak997bei4ofm. U.S. Geological Survey text and figures are in the public domain.

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: 26

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 117 in the 60 days after this one and 60 in the 30 days before it.

After

The first 60 of 117.

Before

Earthquakes today Alaska earthquakes Live radar here

Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event ak997bei4ofm (also filed as usp000876b). Read Mon, Oct 5, 2026, 12:04 PM UTC.