In the evening of Friday August 7th, 2026, a shallow and significant MAG-5.6 earthquake hit under land 107 miles from Anchorage in The United States.
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Earthquake Summary
The earthquake struck on land in The United States, 107 miles (173 km) northwest of Anchorage in Alaska. The center of this earthquake had a very shallow depth of 6 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.
| Date and Time: | Aug 7, 2026 08:50PM (Anchorage Time) - Aug 8, 2026 04:50 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 107 mi NW of Anchorage, Alaska, The United States. Coordinates 62°16'8"N 152°18'50"W. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.6 Detected by 70 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.034 . |
| Depth: | 6 mi (10 km) A very shallow depth. |
| Max. Intensity: | VI
Strong On the Modified Mercalli Scale. |
| Tsunami Risk: | Tsunami very unlikely While this was a shallow earthquake, it appears to have occurred under land with a magnitude not strong enough to cause tsunami's. Always stay cautious - More info here. |
Nearby towns and cities
This earthquake may have been felt in The United States . The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Anchorage in Alaska, The United States. Anchorage is located 107 miles (173 km) northwest of the epicenter. Anchorage experienced an earthquake intensity (MMI Scale) of roughly III. That level implies weak shaking and probably no damage.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place | Intensity (MMI) |
|---|---|---|
| 107 mi (173 km) SE from epicenter |
Anchorage Alaska, The United States. |
III
Weak |
| 111 mi (179 km) SE from epicenter |
Eagle River Alaska, The United States. |
III
Weak |
Earthquake Intensity Map
The maximum intensity (MMI Scale) caused by this earthquake is VI. The map below shows in which areas this earthquake was the most and least impactful. It is based on data from the US Geographic Survey.
3 Aftershocks detected
Since this main shock, 3 smaller aftershocks were detected. At a distance of 2.3 mi (4 km) southwest of this earthquake, an aftershock struck 2 hrs later. It measured a magnitude of 3.4
In the days before this main shock, 2 smaller foreshocks were detected. A 3.1 magnitude earthquake hit 2 days earlier nearby.
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreshock | M 2.5 |
2 days earlier Aug 5, 2026 06:16PM (Anchorage Time) | 59 mi (95 km) SE from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 3.1 |
2 days earlier Aug 6, 2026 01:41AM (Anchorage Time) | 26 mi (42 km) S from Main Shock. |
| Main Shock This Earthquake |
M 5.6 |
Aug 7, 2026 08:50PM (Anchorage Time) | - |
| Aftershock | M 3.2 |
6 mins later Aug 7, 2026 08:56PM (Anchorage Time) | 3 mi (5 km) SE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.4 |
2 hrs later Aug 7, 2026 11:01PM (Anchorage Time) | 2.3 mi (4 km) SW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 2.6 |
14 hrs later Aug 8, 2026 10:51AM (Anchorage Time) | 3 mi (5 km) SW from Main Shock. |
More earthquakes coming?
The risk of aftershocks decreases rapidly over time. Usually, aftershocks are at least one order of magnitude lower than a main shock.
The chance that a significant earthquake like this one is followed by an even larger earthquake is not so large. On average, scientists estimate a 94% chance that a major earthquake will not be followed by an even larger one. It is still adviced to be aware of this risk
Read: How to Stay Safe during an Earthquake (cdc.gov).Earthquakes like this are common in the region
Earthquakes of this strength occur quite regularly in the region. This is the strongest earthquake to hit since November 27th, 2025, when a 6 magnitude earthquake hit 70 mi (113 km) further south-east. An even stronger magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck on November 30th, 2018.
In total, 5 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.6 or higher have been registered within 300km (186 mi) of this epicenter in the past 10 years. This comes down to an average of once every 2 years.
Tsunami very unlikely
While MAG-6.5+ earthquakes may cause tsunami's, it appears that the epicenter of this earthquake hit under land. In addition, the reported depth is deeper than 100km, making the risk of a tsunami even less likely. However always stay cautious and monitor advice from local authorities.
Tsunami Risk Factors
| Factor | Under Sea? | MAG-6.5 or stronger? | Shallow depth? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Explanation | Almost all tsunami's are caused by earthquakes with their epicenter under sea or very near the sea. However stay cautious in coastal areas as earthquakes on land may cause landslides into sea, potentially still causing a local tsunami. | Under MAG 6.5: Very unlikely to cause a tsunami. MAG 6.5 to 7.5: Destructive tsunami's do occur, but are uncommon. Likely to observe small sea level changes. MAG 7.6+: Earthquakes with these magnitudes might produce destructive tsunami's. |
Most destructive tsunami's are caused by shallow earthquakes with a depth between 0 and 100km under the surface of the earth. Deeper tsunami's are unlikely to displace to ocean floor. |
| This Earthquake | Not this earthquake. This earthquake appears to have struck on land far from any coast. |
Not this earthquake. This earthquake had a magnitude of 5.6. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 6 mi (10 km). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 09/08/26 05:18 (). This article contains currently available information about the earthquake and is automatically composed. We continue to update this article up to a few days after the earthquake occurred.
- US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake aka2026powmkf
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260808_0000060
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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