March 7, 1929 Earthquake: Fox Islands, Aleutian Islands, Alaska, United States
A magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Fox Islands, Aleutian Islands, Alaska, United States on March 7, 1929 at 01:34:00 UTC, 50 km below the surface. It caused a tsunami.
Map
Where it struck, with the other significant earthquakes within 200 km. Circles are sized and colored by magnitude; select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Date
- March 7, 1929
- Time
- 01:34:00 UTC
- Place
- Fox Islands, Aleutian Islands, Alaska, United States
- Magnitude
- 7.8 (Mw)
- Focal depth
- 50 km (31 mi)
- Intensity
- 5 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- Yes: the tsunami it caused
- Epicenter
- 51.000° N, 170.000° W
- Country
- United States
The toll
The record gives no deaths, injuries or damage for this earthquake.
What the record says
NCEI’s account, from the sources it cites.
Reference #542:
1929. Mar. 7, 01 34 UTC (Mar. 6). Fox islands, Aleutian Islands, Alaska. This earthquake was felt onboard several ships at sea and severely at Dutch Harbor, Alaska. A small tsunami was recorded at Hilo, Hawaii. Magnitude 8.3 Ms CFR, 8.1 Ms GR, 7.9 mb ABE.
Reference #239:
1929, March 7, 01:35 GMT. A magnitude 8.6 earthquake near the Fox Islands produced a small tsunami that was recorded at Honolulu and Hilo, Hawaii, and at San Francisco, California, but not recorded or reported observed in Alaska...The earthquake was felt strongly at Dutch Harbor, Unalaska, and as a seaquake by several ships in the epicentral area.
Reference #414:
1929 (March 6, 14:35 local time) March 7, 1:34:39 UTC, 50 km depth. There was a strong earthquake with source near the Fox Islands. Dutch Harbor felt a severe tremor. A strong seaquake was felt for a minute on Japanese steamships and other ships between 165o and 171o W. ("Sihara Maru" at 51o 17' N., 171o 16' W.; "Yokohama Maru" at 51o 32' N., 169o 31' W.; "President Madison" at 49o 55' N., 165o 3' W.).
Reference #9910:
1929, March 7, 01:34:42.84 UTC, 50.786 N, 169.524 W, depth 25 km, 7.8 Mw P&S, 7.5 Ms ABE1, 7.3 Ms P&S, 7.9 mB ABE1, 8.6 UK B&D.
Reference #1228:
1929, March 7, 01:34:42.32 UTC, 50.852 N, 169.753 W, depth 15 km, 7.8 Mw.
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- December 31, 1901, Fox Islands, Aleutian Islands, Alaska, United States
- July 27, 2015, Alaska, United States
- August 23, 1872, Fox Islands, Aleutian Islands, Alaska, United States
- June 24, 2011, Fox Islands, Aleutian Islands, Alaska, United States
- September 2, 2011, Fox Islands, Aleutian Islands, Alaska, United States
- September 2, 1907, Aleutian Islands, Alaska, United States
- December 21, 1962, Fox Islands, Aleutian Islands, Alaska, United States
More
Significant earthquakes of 1929The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1929Recent earthquakes near hereThis day in weather history
Sources
Significant earthquakes from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, Global Historical Hazard Database, cited as NCEI/WDS, doi:10.7289/V5PN93H7. Public domain. Read 2026-09-24. NCEI earthquake 3389.