M2.7 earthquake 5 km N of Houston, Alaska

A magnitude 2.7 earthquake struck 5 km N of Houston, Alaska on Wed, Dec 18, 2019, 9:08 AM AKST (18:08 UTC), 36 km (23 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M3.5 6 km ESE of Big Lake, Alaska. This one was a foreshock.

Map

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

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
2.7	ML, local (Richter)	Alaska Earthquake Center	Preferred · Preliminary
2.7	ML, local (Richter)	USGS National Earthquake Information Center	Reviewed

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

No one has reported feeling this quake to the USGS.

Reviewed by a seismologist.

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

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 198 in the 60 days after this one and 136 in the 30 days before it.

The first 60 of 198.

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event ak019g6fxorp (also filed as us60006tah). Read Fri, Oct 2, 2026, 8:50 AM UTC.