Alaska earthquakes

M2.8 earthquake 8 km NNW of Anchorage, Alaska

A magnitude 2.8 earthquake struck 8 km NNW of Anchorage, Alaska on Wed, Dec 5, 2018, 6:38 AM AKST (15:38 UTC), 39 km (24 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M5.0 7 km SSE of Point MacKenzie, Alaska. This one was a foreshock.

Anchorage forecast More in Alaska

Map

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

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The earthquake

Magnitude: 2.8 (ML, local (Richter)), micro
Magnitude from: Alaska Earthquake Center
Local time: Wed, Dec 5, 2018, 6:38 AM AKST
UTC: 2018-12-05 15:38:12 UTC
Depth: 39.4 km (24.5 mi), shallow
Epicenter: 61.285° N, 149.957° W
Region: Alaska
Felt reports: 15
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
2.8	ML, local (Richter)	Alaska Earthquake Center	Preferred · Preliminary
2.8	ML, local (Richter)	USGS National Earthquake Information Center	Reviewed

Did you feel it?

15 people reported to the USGS what they felt; the strongest reported shaking was VIII, severe shaking.

How well it is located

Reviewed by a seismologist.

Stations used: 96

Nearest places

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

Anchorage, AlaskaPopulation 289,600. Forecast8 kmNNW

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: at least 202 in the 60 days after this one and at least 200 in the 30 days before it.

After

The first 60 of at least 202.

Before

Earthquakes today Alaska earthquakes Live radar here

Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event ak018fkwcbo4 (also filed as ak20445077, us1000i2uv). Read Fri, Oct 2, 2026, 9:09 PM UTC.