Alaska earthquakes

M3.6 earthquake 70 km NNE of Yakutat, Alaska

A magnitude 3.6 earthquake struck 70 km NNE of Yakutat, Alaska on Fri, Dec 31, 2021, 5:59 AM AKST (14:59 UTC), 4 km (2 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M5.2 104 km NNW of Yakutat, Alaska. This one was a foreshock.

Yakutat 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: 3.6 (ml), minor
Local time: Fri, Dec 31, 2021, 5:59 AM AKST
UTC: 2021-12-31 14:59:08 UTC
Depth: 3.6 km (2.2 mi), shallow
Epicenter: 60.152° N, 139.340° W
Region: Alaska
Strongest shaking: IV, light shaking
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: IV, light shaking
Peak ground acceleration: 3.6% of gravity
Peak ground velocity: 0.2 cm/s
Map: Automatic

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

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 46°, dip 54°, rake 40°
Nodal plane 2: Strike 290°, dip 59°, rake 136°

How well it is located

Reviewed by a seismologist.

Stations used: 52

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 60 in the 60 days after this one and 34 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 ak021grvuepx (also filed as us7000g86c). Read Wed, Sep 30, 2026, 10:32 PM UTC.