QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.9ml

Earthquake near Nikiski, AK

No earthquake was likely felt in Nikiski in the 24 hours to 8:44 am AKST (17:44 UTC). The last one was M 4.3, 58 km (36 mi) SSE, at 2:30 am AKST on 1 November 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 115 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Nikiski

This page: a magnitude 1.9 earthquake was recorded 49 km (30 mi) northeast of Nikiski, AK, at 8:06 am AKDT on 19 September 2024 (16:06 UTC), less than 1 km deep. 1 person has reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 13 km NNW of Point Possession, Alaska

50 km (31 mi) WSW of Anchorage, AK

8:06 am AKDT, Sep 19, 2024 · · 0.3 km deep · released about 21 lb of TNT

Every earthquake near Nikiski Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Anchorage Municipality 81 kmKenai Peninsula Borough 113 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
8:06 am AKDT on 19 September 2024 ()
Where
49 km (30 mi) northeast of Nikiski, AK · earthquakes near Nikiski
Magnitude
M 1.9 (ml)
Depth
0.3 km below the surface
Felt
1 report · strongest reported intensity II
Nearest
Anchorage Municipality, 81 km E
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 749 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 Nikiski, 49 km away, the estimate is intensity I (not felt). 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 21 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 2.9 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 710,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 500,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 45× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 1.9 about 21 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

The largest earthquake within 50 km since 2016 was M 4.8 on 2022-07-12 — about 22,000 times the energy of this one.

Before 2016, the USGS record lists 21 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km; the five largest:

  1. 6.8 Southern Alaska · 20 km WNW of this epicentre
  2. 6.8 4 km NE of Beluga, Alaska · 20 km NW of this epicentre
  3. 6.8 24 km ENE of Sterling, Alaska · 48 km SSE of this epicentre
  4. 6.4 19 km SSE of Tyonek, Alaska · 23 km SW of this epicentre
  5. 5.8 17 km NW of Beluga, Alaska · 38 km WNW 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 61.0418, -150.7578. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Anchorage Municipality, AK 81 km (50 mi) E earthquakes near Anchorage Municipality
Kenai Peninsula Borough, AK 113 km (71 mi) SW earthquakes near Kenai Peninsula Borough

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.6 25 km ENE of Point Possession, Alaska
  2. 1.6 11 km E of Tyonek, Alaska
  3. 2.1 21 km NNE of Sterling, Alaska
  4. 1.6 17 km SW of Susitna, Alaska
  5. 2.1 29 km ENE of Sterling, Alaska
  6. 1.6 3 km E of Point Possession, Alaska
  7. 1.6 15 km SSW of Susitna, Alaska
  8. 1.5 27 km SE of Point Possession, Alaska
  9. 1.7 8 km E of Nikiski, Alaska
  10. 1.5 3 km E of Beluga, Alaska
  11. 1.6 22 km SSW of Susitna, Alaska
  12. 2.3 26 km NE of Beluga, Alaska
  13. 1.8 20 km W of Point MacKenzie, Alaska
  14. 1.5 21 km W of Point MacKenzie, Alaska
  15. 1.6 21 km SSW of Tyonek, 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.