M 3.8 Earthquake 41 km S of Adak, 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 magnitude 3.8 earthquake occurred 41 km south of Adak, Alaska, at a depth of 35 km.
What this USGS earthquake report tells you, and what most readers miss
This notice was issued by USGS on May 16, 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
A magnitude 3.8 ml earthquake struck 41 km S of Adak, Alaska, on May 15, 2026, at 12:42:04 UTC. The event was recorded at coordinates 51.5099° N, -176.7351° W with a depth of 35 km.
Location Details
The earthquake was centered 41 km south of Adak, Alaska. At 35 km depth, this is classified as an intermediate-depth event (20-70 km).
Impact Assessment
No felt reports were recorded. There was no tsunami advisory (tsunami: 0) and 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 prepared for possible aftershocks.
Source
USGS Event Page - United States Geological Survey
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 (783 characters here).
Similar severity timing
Same severity (low) notices issued closest in time to May 16, 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this USGS earthquake report.