M 4.9 Earthquake Strikes 68 km ESE of Atka, 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 4.9 earthquake occurred 68 km east-southeast of Atka, Alaska, at a depth of 60 km.
What this USGS earthquake report tells you, and what most readers miss
This notice was issued by USGS on August 9, 2026 and geographically references Alaska. Its severity classification of "medium" 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 4.9 mb earthquake struck 68 km ESE of Atka, Alaska, on July 7, 2026, at 12:56:17 UTC (timestamp 1786246577166). The event was reviewed by the USGS and had a significance score of 370.
Location Details
The epicenter was located at latitude 51.987, longitude -173.261, approximately 68 km east-southeast of Atka, Alaska. The depth of 60.301 km places it in the intermediate range (20-70 km).
Impact Assessment
The earthquake was felt by 1 person, with a maximum reported intensity (CDI) of 2.7 and instrumental intensity (MMI) of 3.948. No tsunami was generated (tsunami flag: 0) and no alert level was issued.
What You Should Know
Earthquakes of this magnitude are classified as light and are typically noticeable but rarely cause significant damage. Aftershocks remain possible following any seismic event.
Source
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 (938 characters here).
Similar severity timing
Same severity (medium) notices issued closest in time to August 9, 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this USGS earthquake report.