M3.6 earthquake 52 km ESE of Circle, Alaska
A magnitude 3.6 earthquake struck 52 km ESE of Circle, Alaska on Thu, Jan 2, 2020, 3:16 PM AKST (00:16 UTC), 7 km (4 mi) below the surface.
Map
Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Magnitude
- 3.6 (ML, local (Richter)), minor
- Magnitude from
- Alaska Earthquake Center
- Local time
- UTC
- 2020-01-03 00:16:59 UTC
- Depth
- 7.2 km (4.5 mi), shallow
- Epicenter
- 65.596° N, 143.072° W
- Region
- Alaska
- Strongest shaking
- IV, light 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.6 | ML, local (Richter) | Alaska Earthquake Center | Preferred · Preliminary |
| 3.6 | Mwr, regional moment | USGS National Earthquake Information Center | Reviewed · 36 stations |
Shaking
The USGS ShakeMap: shaking estimated from seismic stations and the quake’s size, on the Modified Mercalli intensity scale.
- Strongest estimated
- IV, light shaking
- Peak ground acceleration
- 274.0% of gravity
- Peak ground velocity
- 0.5 cm/s
- Map
- Automatic
Did you feel it?
No one has reported feeling this quake to the USGS.
Fault motion and ground failure
How the rock slipped, from the moment tensor, and the USGS estimate of landslides and liquefaction.
- Faulting
- Oblique reverse
- Moment magnitude
- 3.6 Mwr
- Nodal plane 1
- Strike 220°, dip 75°, rake 35°
- Nodal plane 2
- Strike 120°, dip 56°, rake 162°
How well it is located
Reviewed by a seismologist.
- Stations used
- 129
Nearest places
Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.
Nearby
Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 5 in the 60 days after this one and 2 in the 30 days before it.
After
- 2.451 km ESE of Circle, Alaska · 2446 days ago · 1 km deep · 2 km away
- 1.679 km SE of Chalkyitsik, Alaska · 2442 days ago · 8 km deep · 82 km away
- 2.827 km SE of Chalkyitsik, Alaska · 2440 days ago · 8 km deep · 96 km away
- 1.727 km SE of Chalkyitsik, Alaska · 2439 days ago · 3 km deep · 98 km away
- 2.219 km SSW of Central, Alaska · 2428 days ago · 5 km deep · 88 km away
Before
Earthquakes todayAlaska earthquakesLive radar here
Sources
From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event ak0204yplji (also filed as us70006u1i). Read Mon, Oct 5, 2026, 8:01 AM UTC.