2.9

M2.9 Earthquake near Central Alaska — September 11, 2020

2020-09-11 21:41:35 UTC (2020-09-11) · approx. 11:41 AM UTC-10 local

Felt by 27 people across nearby locations.

MagnitudeM2.9(ml)
Time21:41 UTC≈ 11:41 AM UTC-10
Depth14.7 kmshallow crustal
Coordinates62.301°, -150.454°
Felt by27DYFI responses
Status✓ Reviewed by USGS

On September 11, 2020 at 21:41 UTC, a magnitude 2.9 shallow crustal earthquake struck near Central Alaska, at a depth of 14.7 km and coordinates 62.3009°, -150.4541°.

Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 2.9 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 338 kg of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 60 m — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.

The epicenter is located in Alaska, a region characterized by Pacific Plate subduction beneath the North American Plate, producing frequent megathrust and crustal earthquakes along the Aleutian arc. The nearest mapped fault system is the Aleutian megathrust. View all earthquakes in Alaska.

Learn more: Magnitude scale · Aftershock sequences

Map showing earthquake epicenter at 62.30°, -150.45°

Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking

Aggregated felt-report intensity from 27 citizen responses to the USGS Did You Feel It? system. Each colored zone represents the average MMI from reports in that area.

USGS DYFI community-reported intensity map for the M2.9 earthquake near Central Alaska

Source: U.S. Geological Survey Did You Feel It?. View on USGS · submit your own report

Earthquake Details

Magnitude
2.9 ml
Depth
14.7 km
shallow crustal
Location
62.3009°N
-150.4541°E
Felt Reports
27
DYFI responses
Community Intensity
4.1
CDI from reports

Technical Information

Event ID
ak020bq2sgm3
Event Type
earthquake
Status
✓ Reviewed
Significance
140
RMS Residual
0.49 sec
Last Updated
2020-11-21 20:10:37 UTC

Common Questions

How strong was the magnitude 2.9 earthquake near Central Alaska?

The magnitude 2.9 earthquake that struck near Central Alaska on September 11, 2020 at 21:41 UTC had a depth of 14.7 km. For context, this was a minor earthquake typically detected only by instruments.

Where did the earthquake occur?

The earthquake epicenter was located at 62.3009°, -150.4541°, which is near Central Alaska. View all earthquakes in Alaska.

Were there aftershocks?

Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 2.9 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.

Has Alaska had earthquakes this big before?

The largest recorded earthquake in Alaska was the M9.2 Great Alaska earthquake of March 27, 1964. Today's magnitude 2.9 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.

Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: ak020bq2sgm3). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.

Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2020, September 11, 2020). M2.9 Earthquake near Central Alaska — September 11, 2020. Retrieved November 21, 2020 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/ak020bq2sgm3/