Alaska earthquakes

M2.6 earthquake 48 km NW of Valdez, Alaska

A magnitude 2.6 earthquake struck 48 km NW of Valdez, Alaska on Sun, Dec 18, 2016, 10:31 AM AKST (19:31 UTC), 14 km (8 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M3.5 34 km NNE of Whittier, Alaska. This one was a foreshock.

Valdez 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: Sun, Dec 18, 2016, 10:31 AM AKST
UTC: 2016-12-18 19:31:16 UTC
Depth: 13.5 km (8.4 mi), shallow
Epicenter: 61.437° N, 146.993° 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
2.6	ML, local (Richter)	Alaska Earthquake Center	Preferred · Preliminary
2.6	ML, local (Richter)	USGS National Earthquake Information Center	Reviewed

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: 64

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 45 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 ak016g847fa2 (also filed as ak14761805, us200082en). Read Mon, Oct 5, 2026, 2:24 AM UTC.