Earthquakes low

M 3.5 - 65 km WSW of Elfin Cove, Alaska

Source: USGS · Alaska

A magnitude 3.5 earthquake was recorded by USGS near 65 km WSW of Elfin Cove. On the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program scale, M3.5 is classified "Minor". Among the 1,740 earthquake reports Areazine has published, this M3.5 event ranks stronger than 32% of them (rank #1,116 by magnitude).

The earthquake report, at a glance

Magnitude
M 3.5
USGS class
Minor
Location
65 km WSW of Elfin Cove
Archive rank
#1,116 of 1,740
Source
USGS
Published
September 15, 2026
MINOR

Stronger than 32% of the 1,740 earthquake reports in Areazine's archive, weaker than 1,115 others.

Record status: a point-in-time USGS detection. Aftershocks, revised magnitude, and felt-report data continue to update on USGS's own event page after publication.

What Happened

A M 3.5 ml earthquake occurred 65 km WSW of Elfin Cove, Alaska, on 2026-09-15 at 12:30:30 UTC. The event was recorded at latitude 58.045, longitude -137.413, with a depth of 0.3 km.

Location Details

The earthquake was located 65 km west-southwest of Elfin Cove, Alaska, at coordinates 58.045°N, 137.413°W. The 0.3 km depth is classified as very shallow (less than 20 km).

Impact Assessment

No felt reports were recorded. The Modified Mercalli Intensity was estimated at 1.866. No tsunami was generated (tsunami advisory status: 0). No alert level was issued.

What You Should Know

This was a minor earthquake (M 2.5-3.9) that is often felt but rarely causes damage. Residents in the area should be aware of the possibility of aftershocks.

Source

https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/aka2026shrzlr (USGS)

Original source: USGS Official Notice ↗

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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.

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Similar severity timing

Same severity (low) notices issued closest in time to September 15, 2026.

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Common Questions

What people usually ask about a notice like this one.

What magnitude was this earthquake? ▾
A magnitude 3.5 ml earthquake struck 65 km west-southwest of Elfin Cove, Alaska, at a very shallow depth of 0.3 km.
How should a magnitude 3.5 ("Minor") event be understood? ▾
The USGS classifies M3.5 as "Minor" on its Earthquake Hazards Program scale. Events in this range are rarely felt beyond the immediate epicenter and typically cause no damage; most are recorded only by seismographs.
Where does this event rank against Areazine's other recorded earthquakes? ▾
This is the #1,116 strongest of the 1,740 earthquake reports in Areazine's archive by magnitude, stronger than 32% of them and weaker than 1,115 others.
Was Elfin Cove likely to feel this earthquake? ▾
This event was centered 65 km WSW of Elfin Cove. Shaking intensity falls off sharply with distance from the epicenter and depends on depth and local geology, so check the USGS "Did You Feel It?" report for this event for real felt-shaking data rather than assuming from magnitude and distance alone.

Source data

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