QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 3.2ml

Earthquake near Valdez, AK

No earthquake was likely felt in Valdez in the 24 hours to 1:33 pm AKST (22:33 UTC). The last one was M 4.4, 85 km (53 mi) NNW, at 11:11 am AKDT on 30 October 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 54 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Valdez

This page: a magnitude 3.2 earthquake was recorded 39 km (24 mi) north-northwest of Valdez, AK, at 7:14 pm AKST on 22 December 2021 (04:14 UTC), 8.6 km deep. 1 person has reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: Southern Alaska

7:14 pm AKST, Dec 22, 2021 · · 8.6 km deep · released about 1,900 lb of TNT

Every earthquake near Valdez Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Chugach Census Area 110 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
7:14 pm AKST on 22 December 2021 ()
Where
39 km (24 mi) north-northwest of Valdez, AK · earthquakes near Valdez
Magnitude
M 3.2 (ml)
Depth
8.6 km below the surface
Felt
1 report · strongest reported intensity III
Nearest
Chugach Census Area, 110 km SSE
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 1718 days ago

This was a small earthquake. Shaking like this is often felt indoors nearby and very rarely causes damage.

At this magnitude and depth, people at rest would likely notice it out to about 46 km (29 mi) from the epicentre. In Valdez, 39 km away, the estimate is intensity II (weak). 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: Valdez 39 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 1,900 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 4.2 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Northridge, California 1994 M 6.7 180,000× the energy of this one
  2. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 7,900× the energy of this one
  3. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 5,600× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 3.2 about 1,900 lb of TNT
  5. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 this one released 2× 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 since 2016 was M 4.3 on 2018-10-16 — about 45 times the energy of this one.

Before 2016, the USGS record lists 9 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km; the five largest:

  1. 6.4 37 km SSE of Glacier View, Alaska · 41 km W of this epicentre
  2. 5.5 47 km SSE of Glacier View, Alaska · 35 km W of this epicentre
  3. 5.5 48 km WNW of Valdez, Alaska · 28 km WSW of this epicentre
  4. 5.5 21 km NNW of Tatitlek, Alaska · 47 km SSW of this epicentre
  5. 5.3 45 km S of Glacier View, Alaska · 46 km W 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 61.4505, -146.6435. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Chugach Census Area, AK 110 km (68 mi) SSE earthquakes near Chugach Census Area

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.7 49 km NW of Valdez, Alaska
  2. 1.8 37 km WNW of Valdez, Alaska
  3. 3.6 Southern Alaska
  4. 1.5 34 km WNW of Valdez, Alaska
  5. 1.6 49 km N of Valdez, Alaska
  6. 2.2 25 km SE of Eureka Roadhouse, Alaska
  7. 1.6 44 km NW of Valdez, Alaska
  8. 1.8 12 km SSW of Valdez, Alaska
  9. 1.6 41 km NNW of Valdez, Alaska
  10. 1.6 44 km SSE of Nelchina, Alaska
  11. 1.8 43 km N of Valdez, Alaska
  12. 1.5 29 km SSE of Mendeltna, Alaska
  13. 1.6 47 km NW of Valdez, Alaska
  14. 1.7 35 km WNW of Valdez, Alaska
  15. 1.7 40 km WNW of Valdez, 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.