QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 4.0mb

Earthquake near Sand Point, AK

No earthquake was likely felt in Sand Point in the 24 hours to 9:50 am AKST (18:50 UTC). The last one was M 4.2, 99 km (61 mi) SE, at 10:44 pm AKDT on 22 October 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Sand Point

This page: a magnitude 4.0 earthquake was recorded 39 km (24 mi) northeast of Sand Point, AK, at 5:28 pm AKST on 8 January 2020 (02:28 UTC), 90 km deep.

USGS: 38 km NE of Sand Point, Alaska

5:28 pm AKST, Jan 8, 2020 · · 90 km deep · released about 15 tons of TNT

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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
5:28 pm AKST on 8 January 2020 ()
Where
39 km (24 mi) northeast of Sand Point, AK · earthquakes near Sand Point
Magnitude
M 4.0 (mb)
Depth
90 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Aleutians East Borough, 125 km WSW
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 2416 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 36 km (22 mi) from the epicentre. In Sand Point, 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.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 15 tons of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 5.0 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Northridge, California 1994 M 6.7 11,000× the energy of this one
  2. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 500× the energy of this one
  3. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 350× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 4.0 about 15 tons of TNT
  5. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 this one released 32× 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. 6.0 54 km E of Sand Point, Alaska · 46 km SE of this epicentre
  2. 6.0 15 km SSE of Sand Point, Alaska · 50 km SSW 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 55.6180, -160.1357. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Aleutians East Borough, AK 125 km (77 mi) WSW earthquakes near Aleutians East Borough

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.7 22 km NNW of Sand Point, Alaska
  2. 1.8 38 km ENE of Sand Point, Alaska
  3. 1.5 39 km NNW of Sand Point, Alaska
  4. 1.9 39 km N of Sand Point, Alaska
  5. 1.8 46 km SE of Nelson Lagoon, Alaska
  6. 1.9 45 km E of Nelson Lagoon, Alaska
  7. 1.8 28 km WNW of Ivanof Bay, Alaska
  8. 2.1 38 km WSW of Ivanof Bay, Alaska
  9. 1.5 10 km W of Ivanof Bay, Alaska
  10. 2.0 51 km WSW of Ivanof Bay, Alaska
  11. 1.9 29 km SW of Ivanof Bay, Alaska
  12. 1.7 19 km W of Ivanof Bay, Alaska
  13. 1.9 46 km WSW of Ivanof Bay, Alaska
  14. 1.6 16 km ESE of Sand Point, Alaska
  15. 2.9 51 km E of Sand Point, 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.