3.9

M3.9 Earthquake 54 km SSE of Sand Point, Alaska — August 2, 2020

2020-08-02 18:58:33 UTC (2020-08-02) · approx. 7:58 AM UTC-11 local

MagnitudeM3.9(mb)
Time18:58 UTC≈ 7:58 AM UTC-11
Depth33.1 kmshallow crustal
Coordinates54.866°, -160.285°
Felt by2DYFI responses
Status✓ Reviewed by USGS

On August 2, 2020 at 18:58 UTC, a magnitude 3.9 shallow crustal earthquake struck 54 km SSE of Sand Point, Alaska, at a depth of 33.1 km and coordinates 54.8662°, -160.2854°.

Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 3.9 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 11 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 296 m — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.

Map showing earthquake epicenter at 54.87°, -160.29°

Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking

Aggregated felt-report intensity from 2 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 M3.9 earthquake near 54 km SSE of Sand Point, Alaska

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

Earthquake Details

Magnitude
3.9 mb
Depth
33.1 km
shallow crustal
Location
54.8662°N
-160.2854°E
Felt Reports
2
DYFI responses
Community Intensity
2.2
CDI from reports

Technical Information

Event ID
us6000b8ec
Event Type
earthquake
Status
✓ Reviewed
Significance
234
Azimuthal Gap
162.0°
Min Station Distance
0.404°
RMS Residual
0.70 sec
Last Updated
2020-10-10 17:11:10 UTC

Common Questions

How strong was the magnitude 3.9 earthquake near Sand Point, Alaska?

The magnitude 3.9 earthquake that struck 54 km SSE of Sand Point, Alaska on August 2, 2020 at 18:58 UTC had a depth of 33.1 km. For context, this was a minor earthquake typically detected only by instruments.

Were there aftershocks?

Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 3.9 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.

Understanding This Data

Magnitude 3.9 earthquakes are typically only recorded by instruments.

Learn more about magnitude →

Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000b8ec). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.

Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2020, August 2, 2020). M3.9 Earthquake 54 km SSE of Sand Point, Alaska — August 2, 2020. Retrieved October 10, 2020 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000b8ec/