Alaska earthquakes

M3.1 earthquake 6 km SE of Big Lake, Alaska

A magnitude 3.1 earthquake struck 6 km SE of Big Lake, Alaska on Fri, Dec 7, 2018, 9:11 PM AKST (06:11 UTC), 43 km (27 mi) below the surface.

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

Big Lake 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: 3.1 (ML, local (Richter)), minor
Magnitude from: Alaska Earthquake Center
Local time: Fri, Dec 7, 2018, 9:11 PM AKST
UTC: 2018-12-08 06:11:52 UTC
Depth: 42.7 km (26.5 mi), shallow
Epicenter: 61.480° N, 149.866° W
Region: Alaska
Felt reports: 7
Strongest shaking: II, weak shaking
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
3.1	ML, local (Richter)	Alaska Earthquake Center	Preferred · Preliminary
3.1	ML, local (Richter)	USGS National Earthquake Information Center	Reviewed

Shaking

The USGS ShakeMap: shaking estimated from seismic stations and the quake’s size, on the Modified Mercalli intensity scale.

Strongest estimated: II, weak shaking
Peak ground acceleration: 290.0% of gravity
Peak ground velocity: 0.1 cm/s
Map: Automatic

USGS ShakeMap: estimated shaking intensity around the epicenter — Estimated shaking intensity. Map: USGS ShakeMap.

Did you feel it?

7 people reported to the USGS what they felt; the strongest reported shaking was II, weak shaking.

How well it is located

Reviewed by a seismologist.

Stations used: 154

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 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 ak018fppfreu (also filed as ak20466252, us1000i4yx). Read Thu, Oct 1, 2026, 6:01 PM UTC.