QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 7.1mw

Earthquake near Anchorage, AK

No earthquake was likely felt in Anchorage in the 24 hours to 3:13 am AKST (12:13 UTC). The last one was M 3.5, 39 km (24 mi) SSW, at 4:48 pm AKDT on 27 October 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 98 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Anchorage

This page: a magnitude 7.1 earthquake was recorded 15 km (9 mi) north-northwest of Anchorage, AK, at 8:29 am AKST on 30 November 2018 (17:29 UTC), 47 km deep. 2,342 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 1 km SE of Point MacKenzie, Alaska

15 km (9 mi) NNW of Anchorage, AK

8:29 am AKST, Nov 30, 2018 · · 47 km deep · released about 670 kilotons of TNT

Every earthquake near Anchorage Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Anchorage Municipality 41 kmMatanuska-Susitna Borough 105 km
Distance rings around the epicentre, with the nearest towns at their true direction and later quakes as coloured dots. Not a shaking map — see the USGS ShakeMap for that.
When
8:29 am AKST on 30 November 2018 ()
Where
15 km (9 mi) north-northwest of Anchorage, AK · earthquakes near Anchorage
Magnitude
M 7.1 (mw)
Depth
47 km below the surface
Felt
2,342 reports · strongest reported intensity VIII
Measured shaking
intensity VIII (ShakeMap)
USGS impact alert
orange
Tsunami
USGS flagged this event for tsunami evaluation. Follow tsunami.gov for official messages.
Nearest
Anchorage Municipality, 41 km ESE
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 340 days ago

This was a major earthquake. Serious damage is likely near the epicentre. Follow official information from USGS and local authorities.

At this magnitude and depth, people at rest would likely notice it out to about 612 km (380 mi) from the epicentre. In Anchorage, 15 km away, the estimate is intensity VI (strong). Estimated from magnitude, depth and distance with the intensity equation USGS Did You Feel It? uses; felt reports, where there are any, are the measurement.

Likely felt in: Anchorage 15 km, intensity VI · Big Lake 19 km, intensity VI · Eagle River 21 km, intensity VI · Knik-Fairview 26 km, intensity VI · Tanaina 42 km, intensity VI · Willow 45 km, intensity VI. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 670 kilotons of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 8.1 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Great Alaska earthquake 1964 M 9.2 1,400× the energy of this one
  2. Tōhoku, Japan 2011 M 9.1 1,000× the energy of this one
  3. San Francisco 1906 M 7.9 16× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 7.1 about 670 kilotons of TNT
  5. Loma Prieta, California 1989 M 6.9 this one released 2× more
  6. Northridge, California 1994 M 6.7 this one released 4× more

Energy from the Gutenberg–Richter relation (log10E = 1.5M + 4.8), rounded to two figures; bar length is magnitude, which is already a logarithm of energy. Magnitudes of past earthquakes from the USGS catalogue.

For this area

The largest earthquake within 50 km (31 mi) since our catalogue begins in 2016. The previous largest was M 4.1 on 2018-03-30.

Before 2016, the USGS record lists 22 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km; the five largest:

  1. 5.8 20 km ENE of Beluga, Alaska · 45 km WSW of this epicentre
  2. 5.6 11 km NW of Big Lake, Alaska · 28 km NNW of this epicentre
  3. 5.6 5 km N of Susitna, Alaska · 41 km NW of this epicentre
  4. 5.5 2 km ENE of Eagle River, Alaska · 23 km E of this epicentre
  5. 5.5 9 km E of Susitna, Alaska · 30 km NW of this epicentre

Since 2016: the QuakeIndex catalogue (US, M1.5+), built from the USGS FDSN event service. Before 2016: USGS ComCat, M5+ from 1900. Distances are between epicentres. This is the record, not a forecast.

Where

Epicentre 61.3464, -149.9552. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Anchorage Municipality, AK 41 km (25 mi) ESE earthquakes near Anchorage Municipality
Matanuska-Susitna Borough, AK 105 km (65 mi) NNE earthquakes near Matanuska-Susitna Borough

Places and coordinates from the US Census Bureau Gazetteer (2024). Distances are from the epicentre.

Aftershocks so far

60 earthquakes have been recorded within 50 km since this one.

  1. 2.3 7 km SSE of Big Lake, Alaska
  2. 2.3 10 km NW of Point MacKenzie, Alaska
  3. 2.4 6 km WSW of Knik, Alaska
  4. 2.5 8 km N of Point MacKenzie, Alaska
  5. 3.6 6 km NW of Point MacKenzie, Alaska
  6. 3.6 7 km WSW of Knik, Alaska
  7. 3.0 7 km NW of Point MacKenzie, Alaska
  8. 3.2 2 km SSE of Big Lake, Alaska
  9. 3.2 8 km NW of Point MacKenzie, Alaska
  10. 2.5 3 km NNW of Point MacKenzie, Alaska
  11. 3.0 6 km NW of Point MacKenzie, Alaska
  12. 3.2 8 km NW of Point MacKenzie, Alaska
  13. 3.0 8 km NW of Point MacKenzie, Alaska
  14. 3.2 5 km SW of Big Lake, Alaska
  15. 3.3 1 km SSE of Big Lake, Alaska

Counted from the QuakeIndex database, which ingests the USGS feed every 30 seconds · as of . QuakeIndex does not forecast aftershocks. When USGS issues an operational aftershock forecast it appears on the USGS event page.

On USGS

QuakeIndex does not issue warnings. For earthquake early warning see ShakeAlert.