M 3.8 - 166 km S of Akhiok, Alaska

Source: USGS · Alaska

A magnitude 3.8 earthquake was recorded by USGS near 166 km S of Akhiok. On the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program scale, M3.8 is classified "Minor". Among the 1,782 earthquake reports Areazine has published, this M3.8 event ranks stronger than 42% of them (rank #1,006 by magnitude).

This earthquake report, quickly

Magnitude
M 3.8
USGS class
Minor
Location
166 km S of Akhiok
Archive rank
#1,006 of 1,782
Source
USGS
Published
September 21, 2026
MINOR

Sits above 42% of the 1,782 earthquakes in the archive by magnitude; 1,005 ran stronger.

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 M 3.8 ml earthquake struck 166 km S of Akhiok, Alaska on 2026-10-20 at 12:26:50 UTC. The event had a depth of 57.2 km and was classified as an intermediate-depth earthquake (20-70 km).

Location Details

The epicenter was located at coordinates 55.453 latitude, -154.044 longitude, 166 km south of Akhiok, Alaska. The intermediate depth of 57.2 km places the event below the shallow crustal zone.

Impact Assessment

No felt reports were recorded. The Modified Mercalli Intensity was estimated at 1.029. No tsunami advisory was issued (tsunami field = 0) and no alert level was assigned.

What You Should Know

Earthquakes of this magnitude (M 2.5-3.9) are often felt but rarely cause damage. Aftershocks remain possible following any seismic event.

Source

Data from USGS: https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/aka2026steqzi

Original source: USGS Official Notice ↗

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Nationwide notices with similar length or severity timing 8

Beyond this USGS earthquake report's own category, Areazine surfaces two nationwide peer sets: length-matched and severity/date-matched notices from elsewhere in the archive, distinct from the same-feed Related list above.

Common Questions

What people usually ask about a notice like this one.

What magnitude was this earthquake?
A magnitude 3.8 earthquake occurred 166 km south of Akhiok, Alaska at a depth of 57.2 km.
What does a magnitude 3.8 ("Minor") earthquake mean?
The USGS classifies M3.8 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.
How does this compare with other earthquakes Areazine has reported?
This is the #1,006 strongest of the 1,782 earthquake reports in Areazine's archive by magnitude, stronger than 42% of them and weaker than 1,005 others.
Was Akhiok likely to feel this earthquake?
This event was centered 166 km S of Akhiok. 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.