Alaska earthquakes

M3.8 earthquake 49 km SSW of Adak, Alaska

A magnitude 3.8 earthquake struck 49 km SSW of Adak, Alaska on Wed, Dec 16, 2020, 6:40 AM HAST (16:40 UTC), 42 km (26 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M5.0 124 km SW of Adak, Alaska. This one was a foreshock.

Map

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

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The earthquake

Magnitude: 3.8 (mb), minor
Local time: Wed, Dec 16, 2020, 6:40 AM HAST
UTC: 2020-12-16 16:40:52 UTC
Depth: 41.9 km (26.0 mi), shallow
Epicenter: 51.438° N, 176.775° W
Region: Alaska
Tsunami flag: No
Status: Reviewed by a seismologist

Did you feel it?

No one has reported feeling this quake to the USGS.

How well it is located

Reviewed by a seismologist.

Location uncertainty: About 5.1 km horizontally, 13.8 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty: ±0.14
Depth from: From location
Station coverage gap: 213°, poorly surrounded by stations
Stations used: 38

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 154 in the 60 days after this one and 79 in the 30 days before it.

After

The first 60 of 154.

Before

Earthquakes today Alaska earthquakes Live radar here

Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event us6000d20a (also filed as ak020g4refsz). Read Sat, Sep 26, 2026, 2:35 PM UTC.