Alaska earthquakes

M5.1 earthquake 130 km SSE of Sand Point, Alaska

A magnitude 5.1 earthquake struck 130 km SSE of Sand Point, Alaska on Tue, Oct 20, 2020, 5:17 PM AKDT (01:17 UTC), 19 km (12 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M5.3 203 km S 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: 5.1 (mww), moderate
Local time: Tue, Oct 20, 2020, 5:17 PM AKDT
UTC: 2020-10-21 01:17:53 UTC
Depth: 18.9 km (11.7 mi), shallow
Epicenter: 54.276° N, 159.628° 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.

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: 5.1 Mww
Nodal plane 1: Strike 255°, dip 43°, rake -10°
Nodal plane 2: Strike 353°, dip 83°, rake -133°

How well it is located

Reviewed by a seismologist.

Location uncertainty: About 4.8 km horizontally, 3.7 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty: ±0.04
Depth from: From location
Station coverage gap: 72°
Stations used: 296

Nearest places

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

Sand Point, AlaskaPopulation 1,064. Forecast131 kmSSE

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 2.1 and up: at least 200 in the 60 days after this one and at least 200 in the 30 days before it.

After

The first 60 of at least 200.

Before

Earthquakes today Alaska earthquakes Live radar here

Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event us6000cag5 (also filed as ak020djw8kf4, iscgem619500304). Read Sun, Sep 27, 2026, 2:46 PM UTC.