All earthquakesAlaska

Alaska earthquakes in 1938

12 earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or more were located in Alaska in 1938. The largest: M8.2 1938 Semidi Islands, Alaska Earthquake, Nov 10, 1938.

From the USGS catalog. Times are local to each quake.

19371939

Map

Where every quake of 1938 was located in Alaska. Select one for its page.

Open the live map with earthquakes

Every quake of 1938

Magnitude 2.5 and up, newest first.

Month by month

Counted by UTC date, which is how the catalog files them.

MonthQuakesLargestWhere
January 193815.8246 km SW of Adak, Alaska
February 19380
March 19380
April 19380
May 19380
June 19380
July 193816.156 km SSW of Unalaska, Alaska
August 19380
September 19380
October 19380
November 193878.21938 Semidi Islands, Alaska Earthquake
December 193836.319 km SW of Old Harbor, Alaska

What this means

The catalog is only as complete as the instruments of the time. Worldwide coverage of magnitude 5 and up dates from the 1960s, and of 4.5 from the 1990s; earlier years hold the large quakes and the ones near a station, so a low count in an early year means fewer instruments, not a quiet earth.

By year

Every year the USGS catalog covers.

Nearby

Alaska nowWorldwide in 1938

Sources

Earthquakes, magnitudes, depths, shaking estimates and felt reports from the U.S. Geological Survey Earthquake Hazards Program, read from its live feeds and its catalog back to 1900. Tsunami messages from NOAA’s tsunami warning centers.