Alaska was rocked by a 7.0 magnitude earthquake: what to know

A 7.0-magnitude earthquake occurred near Yakutat, Alaska, on Saturday, the US Geological Survey reported.

A USGS map shows that the quake came during a cluster of seismic activity that saw more than a dozen other earthquakes reported over a 24-hour period in the area bordering Alaska and the Canadian Yukon Territory.

The quake struck at a depth of about 6 miles, or 10 kilometers, meaning it was felt near the surface. This was reflected in the number of people who self-reported the earthquake on the USGS website.

There was no immediate information about possible injuries or damage, and no tsunami warnings were issued.

What do you know?

The USGS said the quake's epicenter was located about 56 miles from Yakutat, a community of about 660 people, and about 230 miles northwest of Juneau.

The quake occurred at a shallow depth of about six miles, or about 10 kilometres, which allowed the shaking to be felt more sharply at the surface. Residents across the region and in parts of Canada reported feeling the quake, although its remote location limited human impact.

Preliminary data indicated no immediate injuries, property damage, or power outages, and no tsunami warning was issued following the event.

The USGS also reported aftershocks in the vicinity, which is typical after an earthquake of this size.

Alaska routinely experiences more serious earthquakes than any other U.S. state because of its location along the seismically active Pacific “Ring of Fire.”

According to NASA's Earth Observatory, Alaska experiences frequent seismic events due to interactions between the Pacific Plate and the North American Plate.

Historically, the state has been the site of some of the world's strongest earthquakes, including the Great Alaskan Earthquake of 1964, which measured 9.2, making it the second largest earthquake ever recorded globally.

The region also experienced a major 8.7 magnitude earthquake on the Rat Islands in 1965, evidence of the ongoing seismic threat. The largest earthquake ever recorded globally was the 1960 Valdivia earthquake, which struck Chile with a magnitude of 9.5.

The strength of earthquakes is measured on a logarithmic scale called the moment-force scale. Each integer increase reflects a tenfold jump in the measured amplitude, meaning that a magnitude 7.0 event is ten times stronger than a magnitude 6.0 event.

Michigan Technological University notes that earthquakes with a magnitude of 7.0-7.9 are classified as large, and often result in severe damage in areas where residents and infrastructure are present.

What people say

“We definitely felt the earthquake. There are a lot of people on social media, people felt it. There were no reports of damage or injuries,” Whitehorse RCMP Sergeant Calista McLeod told The Associated Press on Saturday.

“Most people reported things falling off shelves and walls,” Alison Baird, a seismologist with Natural Resources Canada, told The Associated Press on Saturday. “It doesn't look like we've seen anything in terms of structural damage.”

What happens next

Officials and scientists will continue to monitor the area for aftershocks, which are common after earthquakes of this size. Emergency services in Alaska and neighboring parts of Canada will remain on alert in the event of new reports of damage or injuries. This event is likely to serve as a reminder of ongoing earthquake preparedness initiatives in Alaska and across the Pacific region.

Updated 12/6/25 at 5:43 PM ET: This story has been updated with more information.

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