Alaska earthquakes

M5.2 earthquake 79 km SSW of Sand Point, Alaska

A magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck 79 km SSW of Sand Point, Alaska on Tue, Aug 4, 2020, 4:47 AM AKDT (12:47 UTC), 35 km (22 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M5.5 79 km SSW of Sand Point, Alaska. This one was a foreshock.

Sand Point 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: 5.2 (mww), moderate
Local time: Tue, Aug 4, 2020, 4:47 AM AKDT
UTC: 2020-08-04 12:47:18 UTC
Depth: 35.0 km (21.7 mi), shallow
Epicenter: 54.721° N, 161.138° W
Region: Alaska
Felt reports: 2
Tsunami flag: No
Status: Reviewed by a seismologist

Did you feel it?

2 people reported to the USGS what they felt; the strongest reported shaking was III, weak shaking.

Fault motion and ground failure

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

Faulting: Reverse (thrust)
Moment magnitude: 5.2 Mww
Nodal plane 1: Strike 233°, dip 31°, rake 87°
Nodal plane 2: Strike 57°, dip 59°, rake 92°

How well it is located

Reviewed by a seismologist.

Location uncertainty: About 5.1 km horizontally, 1.9 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty: ±0.04
Depth from: Operator assigned
Station coverage gap: 65°
Stations used: 116

Nearest places

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

Sand Point, AlaskaPopulation 1,064. Forecast80 kmSSW

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 2.2 and up: 168 in the 60 days after this one and at least 200 in the 30 days before it.

After

The first 60 of 168.

Before

Earthquakes today Alaska earthquakes Live radar here

Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event us6000b95f (also filed as pt20217001, ak0209z31me9, iscgem618708497). Read Sun, Sep 27, 2026, 1:26 AM UTC.