M 5.3 - 151 km WSW of Adak, Alaska

Source: USGS · Alaska

A magnitude 5.3 earthquake was recorded by USGS near 151 km WSW of Adak. On the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program scale, M5.3 is classified "Moderate". Among the 1,699 earthquake reports Areazine has published, this M5.3 event ranks stronger than 80% of them (rank #257 by magnitude).

Read this earthquake report in 30 seconds

Magnitude
M 5.3
USGS class
Moderate
Location
151 km WSW of Adak
Archive rank
#257 of 1,699
Source
USGS
Published
September 11, 2026
MODERATE

Stronger than 80% of the 1,699 earthquake reports in Areazine's archive, weaker than 256 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 magnitude 5.3 mb earthquake struck 151 km WSW of Adak, Alaska, on 2026-09-11 at 12:07:12 UTC. The event was recorded at a depth of 40.892 km.

Location Details

The earthquake was located at coordinates 51.213°N, 178.5429°W. This places it 151 km west-southwest of Adak, Alaska. The depth of 40.892 km is classified as intermediate (20-70 km).

Impact Assessment

No felt reports were recorded. The Modified Mercalli Intensity reached 5.274. A tsunami flag of 1 was noted, though no specific advisory details were provided. No alert level was assigned.

What You Should Know

This was a moderate earthquake. Residents in the region should be aware of the possibility of aftershocks.

Source

USGS Event Page

Original source: USGS Official Notice ↗

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.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about this USGS earthquake report.

What magnitude was this earthquake?
A magnitude 5.3 mb earthquake occurred 151 km west-southwest of Adak, Alaska, at a depth of 40.9 km.
What does a magnitude 5.3 ("Moderate") earthquake mean?
The USGS classifies M5.3 as "Moderate" on its Earthquake Hazards Program scale. Events in this range are felt over a wide area and can cause significant damage near the epicenter, particularly to older or unreinforced buildings.
How does this compare with other earthquakes Areazine has reported?
This is the #257 strongest of the 1,699 earthquake reports in Areazine's archive by magnitude, stronger than 80% of them and weaker than 256 others.
Was Adak likely to feel this earthquake?
This event was centered 151 km WSW of Adak. 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.