Alaska earthquakes

M3.7 earthquake 28 km WSW of Ester, Alaska

A magnitude 3.7 earthquake struck 28 km WSW of Ester, Alaska on Tue, Jan 14, 2020, 11:46 AM AKST (20:46 UTC), 20 km (12 mi) below the surface.

Ester 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: 3.7 (ml), minor
Local time: Tue, Jan 14, 2020, 11:46 AM AKST
UTC: 2020-01-14 20:46:55 UTC
Depth: 19.7 km (12.2 mi), shallow
Epicenter: 64.716° N, 148.530° W
Region: Alaska
Felt reports: 295
Strongest shaking: V, moderate 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: V, moderate shaking
Peak ground acceleration: 1347.0% of gravity
Peak ground velocity: 3.7 cm/s
Map: Automatic

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

Did you feel it?

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

Did You Feel It? map: shaking reported by the public — Shaking reported by the public, by area. Map: USGS Did You Feel It?

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: 3.6 Mwr
Nodal plane 1: Strike 55°, dip 85°, rake -10°
Nodal plane 2: Strike 146°, dip 80°, rake -175°

How well it is located

Reviewed by a seismologist.

Stations used: 164

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 34 in the 60 days after this one and 15 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 ak020nhpice (also filed as us70006zut). Read Wed, Sep 30, 2026, 8:16 AM UTC.