Alaska earthquakes

M3.9 earthquake 123 km ESE of Akutan, Alaska

A magnitude 3.9 earthquake struck 123 km ESE of Akutan, Alaska on Thu, Sep 15, 2016, 8:53 AM AKDT (16:53 UTC), 43 km (27 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M5.9 141 km S of False Pass, 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, body-wave), minor
Magnitude from: USGS National Earthquake Information Center
Local time: Thu, Sep 15, 2016, 8:53 AM AKDT
UTC: 2016-09-15 16:53:47 UTC
Depth: 43.2 km (26.8 mi), shallow
Epicenter: 53.594° N, 164.135° 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
3.9	mb, body-wave	USGS National Earthquake Information Center	Preferred · Reviewed · ±0.11 · 22 stations
4.5	ML, local (Richter)	Alaska Earthquake Center	Preliminary

Did you feel it?

No one has reported feeling this quake to the USGS.

How well it is located

Reviewed by a seismologist.

Location uncertainty: About 6.1 km horizontally, 7.0 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty: ±0.11
Depth from: From location
Station coverage gap: 165°
Stations used: 91

Nearest places

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

Akutan, AlaskaPopulation 1,040. Forecast123 kmESE

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 160 in the 60 days after this one and 67 in the 30 days before it.

After

The first 60 of 160.

Before

Earthquakes today Alaska earthquakes Live radar here

Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event us10006pus (also filed as ak13991557, ak016bwm1aas). Read Sun, Oct 4, 2026, 12:45 AM UTC.