QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.1ml

Earthquake near Girdwood, AK

No earthquake was likely felt in Girdwood in the 24 hours to 1:55 am AKST (10:55 UTC). The last one was M 1.8, 8 km (5 mi) SE, at 10:01 am AKDT on 19 October 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Girdwood

This page: a magnitude 2.1 earthquake was recorded 49 km (30 mi) east-southeast of Girdwood, AK, at 9:10 pm AKDT on 31 May 2024 (05:10 UTC), 7.9 km deep.

USGS: 21 km ENE of Whittier, Alaska

97 km (60 mi) ESE of Anchorage, AK

9:10 pm AKDT, May 31, 2024 · · 7.9 km deep · released about 43 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Anchorage Municipality 66 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
9:10 pm AKDT on 31 May 2024 ()
Where
49 km (30 mi) east-southeast of Girdwood, AK · earthquakes near Girdwood
Magnitude
M 2.1 (ml)
Depth
7.9 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Anchorage Municipality, 66 km NW
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 858 days ago

This was a minor earthquake. Quakes this small are rarely felt and do not cause damage.

At this magnitude and depth, people at rest would likely notice it out to about 15 km (9 mi) from the epicentre. In Girdwood, 49 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.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 43 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.1 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 350,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 250,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 22× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.1 about 43 lb of TNT

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

No earthquake of M4 or more has been recorded within 50 km since our catalogue begins in 2016.

Before 2016, the USGS record lists 10 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km; the five largest:

  1. 6.6 57 km ENE of Whittier, Alaska · 37 km NE of this epicentre
  2. 6.4 22 km ENE of Whittier, Alaska · 4 km N of this epicentre
  3. 6.4 46 km WNW of Tatitlek, Alaska · 47 km ENE of this epicentre
  4. 6.3 27 km ENE of Whittier, Alaska · 8 km NNE of this epicentre
  5. 6.1 54 km WNW of Tatitlek, Alaska · 49 km NE 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 60.8175, -148.3015. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Anchorage Municipality, AK 66 km (41 mi) NW earthquakes near Anchorage Municipality
Chugach Census Area, AK 120 km (75 mi) ESE earthquakes near Chugach Census Area

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 3.0 8 km SSW of Whittier, Alaska
  2. 2.5 23 km ENE of Whittier, Alaska
  3. 1.6 31 km SSE of Knik River, Alaska
  4. 1.5 51 km NNE of Chenega, Alaska
  5. 1.9 38 km SSE of Whittier, Alaska
  6. 1.5 36 km NNE of Whittier, Alaska
  7. 1.5 34 km SSE of Whittier, Alaska
  8. 1.6 44 km SE of Knik River, Alaska
  9. 1.6 56 km ENE of Whittier, Alaska
  10. 1.6 49 km NNE of Chenega, Alaska
  11. 1.5 44 km NNE of Chenega, Alaska
  12. 1.5 36 km SSE of Knik River, Alaska
  13. 1.5 47 km E of Whittier, Alaska
  14. 1.6 23 km SSE of Whittier, Alaska
  15. 1.6 54 km ENE of Whittier, 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.