M3.0 Earthquake 22 km ESE of Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska — August 20, 2026
2026-08-20 11:23:12 UTC (2 hours ago) · approx. 1:23 AM UTC-10 local
Felt by 28 people across nearby locations.
On August 20, 2026 at 11:23 UTC, a magnitude 3.0 shallow crustal earthquake struck 22 km ESE of Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, at a depth of 15.1 km and coordinates 61.1690°, -149.2460°. This earthquake was detected by 63 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 147, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 3.0 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 477 kg of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 71 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
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 28 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
-149.2460°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 3.0 earthquake near Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska?
The magnitude 3.0 earthquake that struck 22 km ESE of Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska on August 20, 2026 at 11:23 UTC had a depth of 15.1 km. For context, this was a minor earthquake typically detected only by instruments.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 61.1690°, -149.2460°, which is 22 km ESE of Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska. View all earthquakes in Alaska.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 3.0 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 3.0 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: aka2026qlnvqp). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2026, August 20, 2026). M3.0 Earthquake 22 km ESE of Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska — August 20, 2026. Retrieved August 20, 2026 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/aka2026qlnvqp/