M3.5 Earthquake 22 km E of Point Possession, Alaska — December 4, 2020
2020-12-04 20:45:20 UTC (2020-12-04) · approx. 10:45 AM UTC-10 local
Felt by 55 people across nearby locations.
On December 4, 2020 at 20:45 UTC, a magnitude 3.5 shallow crustal earthquake struck 22 km E of Point Possession, Alaska, at a depth of 48.3 km and coordinates 60.8934°, -150.2713°. The earthquake was reported felt by 55 peopleacross nearby locations, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 2.7 (weak).
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 3.5 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 2.7 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 157 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
ShakeMap — predicted shaking intensity
Modeled ground-motion intensity contoured on the Modified Mercalli scale (MMI). Computed by the USGS from the moment-tensor solution and regional ground-motion prediction equations.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey ShakeMap. View interactive ShakeMap on USGS
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 55 citizen responses to the USGS Did You Feel It? system. Each colored zone represents the average MMI from reports in that area.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey Did You Feel It?. View on USGS · submit your own report
Earthquake Details
-150.2713°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 3.5 earthquake near Point Possession, Alaska?
The magnitude 3.5 earthquake that struck 22 km E of Point Possession, Alaska on December 4, 2020 at 20:45 UTC had a depth of 48.3 km. It was felt by 55 people with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 2.7 (weak). For context, this was a minor earthquake typically detected only by instruments.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 60.8934°, -150.2713°, which is 22 km E of Point Possession, Alaska. View all earthquakes in Alaska.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 3.5 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 3.5 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: ak020fkzd08l). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2020, December 4, 2020). M3.5 Earthquake 22 km E of Point Possession, Alaska — December 4, 2020. Retrieved February 12, 2021 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/ak020fkzd08l/