QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 4.6ml

65 km SSW of Tanana, Alaska

Yes. A magnitude 4.6 earthquake was recorded 65 km SSW of Tanana, Alaska at 23:32 UTC on 2019-09-06, 11 km deep. 10 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

· 11 km deep · released about 120 tons of TNT

Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area 94 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
Magnitude
M 4.6 (ml)
Depth
11 km below the surface
Felt
10 reports · strongest reported intensity III
Measured shaking
intensity V (ShakeMap)
USGS impact alert
green
Nearest
Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, 94 km NNE
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 2540 days ago

This was a light earthquake. It is usually felt clearly nearby and can rattle windows and dishes, but damage is uncommon.

At this magnitude and depth, people at rest would likely notice it out to about 148 km (92 mi) from the epicentre. 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.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 120 tons of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 5.6 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Northridge, California 1994 M 6.7 1,400× the energy of this one
  2. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 63× the energy of this one
  3. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 45× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 4.6 about 120 tons of TNT
  5. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 this one released 250× 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. No other earthquake of M4 or more has been recorded this close in that time.

Before 2016, the USGS record lists 2 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km:

  1. 5.9 31 km SSE of Tanana, Alaska · 40 km NNE of this epicentre
  2. 5.1 54 km SSW of Tanana, Alaska · 11 km N 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 64.5991, -152.3668. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, AK 94 km (58 mi) NNE earthquakes near Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area
Denali Borough, AK 153 km (95 mi) SE earthquakes near Denali 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. 1.8 60 km SSW of Tanana, Alaska
  2. 1.8 67 km N of Lake Minchumina, Alaska
  3. 2.4 57 km SSW of Tanana, Alaska
  4. 1.8 43 km SSW of Tanana, Alaska
  5. 1.6 39 km SSW of Tanana, Alaska
  6. 1.5 36 km SSW of Tanana, Alaska
  7. 2.1 65 km S of Tanana, Alaska
  8. 2.1 51 km SSW of Tanana, Alaska
  9. 1.8 50 km SW of Tanana, Alaska
  10. 1.6 69 km NNE of Lake Minchumina, Alaska
  11. 1.8 61 km N of Lake Minchumina, Alaska
  12. 1.7 72 km NNW of Lake Minchumina, Alaska
  13. 1.9 50 km S of Tanana, Alaska
  14. 1.6 71 km N of Lake Minchumina, Alaska
  15. 1.8 65 km N of Lake Minchumina, 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.