M 3.6 - 55 km SE of Chignik, Alaska

Source: USGS · Alaska

A magnitude 3.6 earthquake was recorded by USGS near 55 km SE of Chignik. On the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program scale, M3.6 is classified "Minor". Among the 1,740 earthquake reports Areazine has published, this M3.6 event ranks stronger than 36% of them (rank #1,059 by magnitude).

The earthquake report, at a glance

Magnitude
M 3.6
USGS class
Minor
Location
55 km SE of Chignik
Archive rank
#1,059 of 1,740
Source
USGS
Published
September 20, 2026
MINOR

Out of 1,740 earthquake reports Areazine has logged, this one outranks 36% of them — 1,058 recorded a higher magnitude.

Record status: USGS's reading at the moment of detection — the agency keeps revising magnitude, aftershock counts, and felt reports on its own event page as more data arrives.

What Happened

A magnitude 3.6 ml earthquake struck 55 km SE of Chignik, Alaska, on 2026-09-20 at 12:30:13 UTC. The hypocenter was at a depth of 33.7 km.

Location Details

The event was centered at latitude 55.946, longitude -157.772. This depth of 33.7 km places it in the intermediate range (20-70 km).

Impact Assessment

No felt reports were recorded. There was no tsunami advisory (tsunami flag 0) and no alert level assigned.

What You Should Know

This was a minor earthquake, which is often felt but rarely causes damage. Aftershocks are possible following any seismic event.

Source

USGS event page

Original source: USGS Official Notice ↗

All Earthquakes →

Similar notices nationwide by length or severity timing 8

Two cross-category peer sets, both computed from Areazine's own archive: notices with a similar body length, and notices near the same severity and agency date. These are drawn from other categories, not the same-feed Related list above.

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions readers often have about this USGS earthquake report.

What was the magnitude of this event?
A magnitude 3.6 ml earthquake occurred 55 km southeast of Chignik, Alaska, at a depth of 33.7 km.
How should a magnitude 3.6 ("Minor") event be understood?
The USGS classifies M3.6 as "Minor" on its Earthquake Hazards Program scale. Events in this range are often felt near the epicenter and can cause minor damage to vulnerable structures, though widespread damage is uncommon.
Where does this event rank against Areazine's other recorded earthquakes?
This is the #1,059 strongest of the 1,740 earthquake reports in Areazine's archive by magnitude, stronger than 36% of them and weaker than 1,058 others.
Was Chignik likely to feel this earthquake?
This event was centered 55 km SE of Chignik. 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.