Alaska earthquakes

M5.4 earthquake 98 km SSW of Adak, Alaska

A magnitude 5.4 earthquake struck 98 km SSW of Adak, Alaska on Sun, Dec 8, 2024, 10:39 AM HAST (20:39 UTC), 10 km (6 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M6.3 104 km SSW of Adak, Alaska. This one was a foreshock.

Map

Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.

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The earthquake

Magnitude: 5.4 (Mww, W-phase moment), moderate
Magnitude from: USGS National Earthquake Information Center
Local time: Sun, Dec 8, 2024, 10:39 AM HAST
UTC: 2024-12-08 20:39:20 UTC
Depth: 10.0 km (6.2 mi), shallow
Epicenter: 51.069° N, 177.224° W
Region: Alaska
Strongest shaking: IV, light shaking
PAGER alert: Green
Tsunami flag: No
Status: Reviewed by a seismologist

Magnitude estimates

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
5.4	Mww, W-phase moment	USGS National Earthquake Information Center	Preferred · Reviewed · ±0.065 · 23 stations
5.3	ML, local (Richter)	Alaska Earthquake Center	Preliminary
5.4	Mww, W-phase moment	USGS, automatic first solution	First automatic solution · Preliminary

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: 1.7% of gravity
Peak ground velocity: 1.2 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.

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: Reverse (thrust)
Moment magnitude: 5.4 Mww
Nodal plane 1: Strike 252°, dip 23°, rake 88°
Nodal plane 2: Strike 74°, dip 67°, rake 91°

How well it is located

Reviewed by a seismologist.

Location uncertainty: About 4.6 km horizontally, 1.8 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty: ±0.07
Depth from: Operator assigned
Station coverage gap: 55°
Stations used: 130

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 2.4 and up: at least 199 in the 60 days after this one and 51 in the 30 days before it.

After

The first 60 of at least 199.

Before

Earthquakes today Alaska earthquakes Live radar here

Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event us7000nx4d (also filed as usauto7000nx4d, ak024frlh40v, ak024frlh49o). Read Sat, Oct 3, 2026, 12:02 AM UTC.