Alaska earthquakes

M6.2 earthquake 84 km W of Adak, Alaska

A magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck 84 km W of Adak, Alaska on Wed, Jan 22, 2020, 7:53 PM HAST (05:53 UTC), 10 km (6 mi) below the surface.

Map

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

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The earthquake

Magnitude: 6.2 (mww), strong
Local time: Wed, Jan 22, 2020, 7:53 PM HAST
UTC: 2020-01-23 05:53:02 UTC
Depth: 10.0 km (6.2 mi), shallow
Epicenter: 51.984° N, 177.855° W
Region: Alaska
Felt reports: 9
Strongest shaking: VI, strong shaking
PAGER alert: Green
Tsunami flag: No
Status: Reviewed by a seismologist

Shaking

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

Strongest estimated: VI, strong shaking
Peak ground acceleration: 27.6% of gravity
Peak ground velocity: 3.0 cm/s
Map: Automatic

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

Did you feel it?

9 people reported to the USGS what they felt; the strongest reported shaking was IV, light shaking.

Estimated impact

The USGS PAGER system estimates deaths and economic losses from the shaking and the population and buildings exposed to it.

Alert level: Green: little or no damage or loss of life expected

Deaths: estimated chance of each range
Range	Chance
Under 1	69%
1 to 10	29%
10 to 100	2%
100 to 1,000	Under 1%
1,000 to 10,000	Under 1%
10,000 to 100,000	Under 1%
100,000 to 10,000,000	Under 1%

Economic losses: estimated chance of each range
Range, million USD	Chance
Under 1	65%
1 to 10	30%
10 to 100	4%
100 to 1,000	Under 1%
1,000 to 10,000	Under 1%
10,000 to 100,000	Under 1%
100,000 to 10,000,000	Under 1%

Fault motion and ground failure

How the rock slipped, from the moment tensor, and the USGS estimate of landslides and liquefaction.

Faulting: Strike-slip
Moment magnitude: 6.2 Mww
Nodal plane 1: Strike 92°, dip 79°, rake -173°
Nodal plane 2: Strike 1°, dip 84°, rake -11°

How well it is located

Reviewed by a seismologist.

Location uncertainty: About 2.3 km horizontally, 1.8 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty: ±0.04
Depth from: Operator assigned
Station coverage gap: 45°
Stations used: 117

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 3.2 and up: 51 in the 60 days after this one and 8 in the 30 days before it.

After

Before

Earthquakes today Alaska earthquakes Live radar here

Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event us60007djn (also filed as pt20023000, av62127141, ak020124nifl, iscgem618124301). Read Thu, Oct 1, 2026, 1:55 AM UTC.