Alaska earthquakes

M2.6 earthquake 73 km WNW of Beluga, Alaska

A magnitude 2.6 earthquake struck 73 km WNW of Beluga, Alaska on Fri, Dec 9, 2016, 5:57 AM AKST (14:57 UTC), 2 km (1 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M4.5 52 km W of Skwentna, Alaska. This one was a foreshock.

Nikiski forecast More in Alaska

Map

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

Open the live map with earthquakes

The earthquake

Magnitude: 2.6 (ML, local (Richter)), micro
Magnitude from: Alaska Earthquake Center
Local time: Fri, Dec 9, 2016, 5:57 AM AKST
UTC: 2016-12-09 14:57:22 UTC
Depth: 2.2 km (1.4 mi), shallow
Epicenter: 61.434° N, 152.320° W
Region: Alaska
Felt reports: 2
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
2.6	ML, local (Richter)	Alaska Earthquake Center	Preferred · Preliminary
2.6	ML, local (Richter)	USGS National Earthquake Information Center	Reviewed

What happened

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

Felt at Chugiak and Skwentna.

From the USGS event page for ak016ft5jpwx. U.S. Geological Survey text and figures are in the public domain.

Did you feel it?

2 people reported to the USGS what they felt; the strongest reported shaking was III, weak shaking.

How well it is located

Reviewed by a seismologist.

Stations used: 64

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: at least 199 in the 60 days after this one and 127 in the 30 days before it.

After

The first 60 of at least 199.

Before

Earthquakes today Alaska earthquakes Live radar here

Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event ak016ft5jpwx (also filed as ak14706006, us20007zhx). Read Mon, Oct 5, 2026, 4:04 AM UTC.