5.0

M5.0 Earthquake 103 km SSE of Sand Point, AlaskaAugust 26, 2025

2025-08-26 08:03:46 UTC (2025-08-26) · approx. 9:03 PM UTC-11 local

Felt by 3 people across nearby locations.

MagnitudeM5.0(mww)
Time08:03 UTC9:03 PM UTC-11
Depth31.2 kmshallow crustal
Coordinates54.438°, -160.070°
Felt by3DYFI responses· max MMI 3.7
Status✓ Reviewed by USGS

On August 26, 2025 at 08:03 UTC, a magnitude 5.0 shallow crustal earthquake struck 103 km SSE of Sand Point, Alaska, at a depth of 31.2 km and coordinates 54.4380°, -160.0697°. The earthquake was reported felt by 3 peopleacross nearby locations, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 3.7 (light). This earthquake was detected by 36 seismic stations with moderate location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 386, placing it among routine seismic activity.

Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.0 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 477 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 1.7 km — 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 54.44°, -160.07°

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.

USGS ShakeMap intensity contours for the M5.0 earthquake near 103 km SSE of Sand Point, Alaska

Source: U.S. Geological Survey ShakeMap. View interactive ShakeMap on USGS

Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking

Aggregated felt-report intensity from 3 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 M5.0 earthquake near 103 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
5.0 mww
Depth
31.2 km
shallow crustal
Location
54.4380°N
-160.0697°E
Felt Reports
3
DYFI responses
Intensity (MMI)
3.7
light
Community Intensity
3.4
CDI from reports

Technical Information

Event ID
us7000qqzj
Event Type
earthquake
Status
✓ Reviewed
Significance
386
Stations Used
36
Azimuthal Gap
209.0°
Min Station Distance
0.483°
RMS Residual
1.11 sec
Last Updated
2025-11-12 16:25:44 UTC

Common Questions

How strong was the magnitude 5.0 earthquake near Sand Point, Alaska?

The magnitude 5.0 earthquake that struck 103 km SSE of Sand Point, Alaska on August 26, 2025 at 08:03 UTC had a depth of 31.2 km. It was felt by 3 people with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 3.7 (light). For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.

Where did the earthquake occur?

The earthquake epicenter was located at 54.4380°, -160.0697°, which is 103 km SSE of Sand Point, Alaska. View all earthquakes in Alaska.

Were there aftershocks?

Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.0 earthquakes can continue for days to weeks 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 5.0 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.

Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000qqzj). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.

Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2025, August 26, 2025). M5.0 Earthquake 103 km SSE of Sand Point, AlaskaAugust 26, 2025. Retrieved November 12, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000qqzj/