M3.1 earthquake 42 km ESE of Nikolski, Alaska

A magnitude 3.1 earthquake struck 42 km ESE of Nikolski, Alaska on Thu, Dec 31, 2020, 8:56 AM AKST (17:56 UTC), 35 km (22 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M4.3 36 km E of Nikolski, 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
3.1	ML, local (Richter)	USGS National Earthquake Information Center	Preferred · Reviewed · ±0.105 · 12 stations
2.8	ML, local (Richter)	Alaska Earthquake Center	Preliminary

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: 52 in the 60 days after this one and 125 in the 30 days before it.

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event us6000d86r (also filed as ak020gtl5lu8). Read Fri, Oct 2, 2026, 3:58 PM UTC.