M 3.4 Earthquake Occurs 47 km West of Kotzebue, Alaska
Areazine synthesizes this USGS earthquake report directly from USGS's official public data feed. See our methodology for full source attribution and refresh cadence.
A minor earthquake with a magnitude of 3.4 struck 47 km west of Kotzebue, Alaska, at a depth of 30.3 km on January 1, 2026, UTC.
What this USGS earthquake report tells you, and what most readers miss
This notice was issued by USGS on April 13, 2026 and geographically references Alaska. Its severity classification of "low" signals how the issuing agency weighs the risk of harm if no action is taken - "critical" and "high" tier alerts typically carry direct consumer actions, while "medium" and "low" tend toward informational guidance or monitoring advisories. The category it belongs to - Earthquakes - determines the monitoring protocol behind it, which shapes what follow-up action (checking for structural damage, watching for aftershocks, reviewing local building codes) is relevant and which agency holds authority over the assessment.
Most readers skim a notice like this, check whether they are personally affected, and move on. The more useful lens is to verify its scope, source, and timestamp, then compare related notices without assuming that one record proves a broader trend.
Areazine pairs this record with the original agency URL so you can check the primary source before acting. Its related labels are earthquake, seismic, usgs, Alaska.
What Happened
An earthquake with a magnitude of 3.4 ml occurred on January 1, 2026, at 00:00:06 UTC. It was located 47 km W of Kotzebue, Alaska, at a depth of 30.3 km.
Location Details
The earthquake took place 47 km west of Kotzebue, Alaska, with coordinates at latitude 66.934 and longitude -163.674. The depth of 30.3 km is considered intermediate (between 20-70 km), which means it occurred in the Earth's upper mantle and may be felt over a wider area compared to shallower events.
Impact Assessment
No felt reports were available for this event. There was no tsunami advisory issued, and no alert level was specified.
What You Should Know
This minor earthquake, with a magnitude of 3.4, is often felt but rarely causes damage. Aftershocks are possible following such events, and general safety tips include staying informed through official channels and preparing an emergency plan if you are in a seismic area.
Source
This information is from the United States Geological Survey (USGS). For more details, visit: https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/aka2026hfsxzh
Original source: USGS Official Notice ↗
Related Earthquakes
All Earthquakes →Nationwide notices with similar length or severity timing 8
Two Areazine-derived peer sets for this USGS earthquake report: nearest notices by body length and by same severity near the same agency date. Peers come from other categories so they are not the same-feed Related list above.
Similar body length
Nearest notices by article body length (1,101 characters here).
Similar severity timing
Same severity (low) notices issued closest in time to April 13, 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this USGS earthquake report.