QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.9ml

Earthquake near Sterling, AK

No earthquake was likely felt in Sterling in the 24 hours to 12:10 am AKST (09:10 UTC). The last one was M 2.5, 22 km (13 mi) NNE, at 9:11 pm AKST on 11 November 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 1 felt report to USGS. Every earthquake near Sterling

This page: a magnitude 2.9 earthquake was recorded 41 km (25 mi) northeast of Sterling, AK, at 11:03 am AKDT on 18 August 2026 (19:03 UTC), 49 km deep. 1 person has reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 33 km ESE of Point Possession, Alaska

53 km (33 mi) SSW of Anchorage, AK

11:03 am AKDT, Aug 18, 2026 · · 49 km deep · released about 680 lb of TNT

Every earthquake near Sterling Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
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
11:03 am AKDT on 18 August 2026 ()
Where
41 km (25 mi) northeast of Sterling, AK · earthquakes near Sterling
Magnitude
M 2.9 (ml)
Depth
49 km below the surface
Felt
1 report · strongest reported intensity I
Nearest
Anchorage Municipality, 66 km NE
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 75 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 it was probably too small to be felt, even directly above it. In Sterling, 41 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 680 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.9 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 22,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 16,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 1.4× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.9 about 680 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 4.5 on 2025-04-29 — about 250 times the energy of this one.

Before 2016, the USGS record lists 7 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km; the five largest:

  1. 6.8 24 km ENE of Sterling, Alaska · 17 km SW of this epicentre
  2. 6.4 19 km SSE of Tyonek, Alaska · 50 km WNW of this epicentre
  3. 5.5 26 km SSW of Anchorage, Alaska · 27 km N of this epicentre
  4. 5.4 19 km NE of Nikiski, Alaska · 47 km W of this epicentre
  5. 5.2 19 km E of Point Possession, Alaska · 23 km NNW 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 60.7620, -150.1740. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Anchorage Municipality, AK 66 km (41 mi) NE earthquakes near Anchorage Municipality
Kenai Peninsula Borough, AK 125 km (78 mi) WSW earthquakes near Kenai Peninsula Borough

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.0 15 km E of Point Possession, Alaska
  2. 2.1 20 km N of Cooper Landing, Alaska
  3. 1.8 12 km ESE of Funny River, Alaska
  4. 2.1 11 km SE of Point Possession, Alaska
  5. 1.9 11 km SE of Point Possession, Alaska
  6. 1.6 23 km ENE of Point Possession, Alaska
  7. 2.3 20 km SW of Hope, Alaska
  8. 3.3 22 km SW of Hope, Alaska
  9. 1.6 21 km SW of Hope, Alaska
  10. 1.8 8 km SW of Anchorage, Alaska
  11. 1.7 16 km SW of Anchorage, Alaska
  12. 2.5 8 km E of Sterling, Alaska
  13. 1.8 3 km NNE of Cooper Landing, Alaska
  14. 1.7 24 km SW of Anchorage, Alaska
  15. 1.6 14 km WSW of Anchorage, 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.