USGS · August 16, 2026
Magnitude 3.1 earthquake — 4 km WSW of Point Possession, Alaska
A magnitude 3.1 earthquake was recorded near 4 km WSW of Point Possession, Alaska on Aug 16, 2026, 04:54 AM (local time at the epicentre — AKDT, UTC-8), at a depth of about 5.8 km, according to USGS.
USGSFelt by 1 personShaking IIShallow (0–70 km)Reviewed by a seismologist
Updated 2026-09-01 22:46 UTC
The full record
- Magnitude
- M 3.1 · local (Richter) magnitude
- Location
- 4 km WSW of Point Possession, Alaska
- Local time at the epicentre
- Aug 16, 2026, 04:54 AM — AKDT, UTC-8
- Time (UTC)
- 2026-08-16 12:54 UTC
- Depth
- 5.8 km · Shallow (0–70 km)
- Coordinates
- 60.908, -150.766
- Felt reports
- Felt by 1 person
- Estimated shaking
- II · Weak
- Tsunami
- No tsunami evaluation was flagged for this earthquake.
- Significance
- 148 / 1000 · routine event
- Solution quality
- 108 seismic stations used · 39° azimuthal gap (well-constrained epicentre)
- Review status
- Reviewed by a seismologist
- Catalog
- USGS
Epicentre and nearby recent earthquakes
The highlighted circle is this earthquake. Smaller circles are other events recorded nearby in the last 30 days.
What the shaking was like
Shallow earthquakes release their energy close to the surface, so they are felt more strongly nearby than a deeper earthquake of the same magnitude.
Estimated instrumental shaking II (Weak): Felt by a few people at rest, mostly on upper floors.
Felt it yourself? USGS collects first-hand reports through “Did You Feel It?”, and those reports are what produce the community intensity above.
Who lives nearby
About 0 people live in towns within 30 km of the epicentre, and 378,397 within 100 km. Distances are from the epicentre to the town centre.
| Place | Distance | Population |
|---|---|---|
| Nikiski | 37.3 km SW | 4,493 |
| Sterling | 41.2 km S | 5,617 |
| Funny River | 45.2 km S | 1,103 |
| Ridgeway | 45.3 km SSW | 2,022 |
| Kenai | 47.6 km SW | 7,661 |
| Soldotna | 49.4 km SSW | 4,544 |
| Anchorage | 57.9 km NE | 289,600 |
| Kalifornsky | 61.5 km SSW | 7,850 |
| Cohoe | 66.8 km SSW | 1,364 |
| Elmendorf Air Force Base | 72.3 km ENE | 6,621 |
Earthquake history in this area
No earthquake of magnitude 4.5+ has been recorded within 200 km of this epicentre since 1960, in Alaska.
Other earthquakes near this epicentre
8 other events within 100 km in the last 30 days.
M 3.4 21 km NE of Sterling, AlaskaFelt · 69
M 3.3 13 km ENE of Susitna, AlaskaFelt · 15
M 3.9 1 km WSW of Hope, AlaskaFelt · 947
M 3.0 23 km ESE of Elmendorf Air Force Base, AlaskaFelt · 34
M 3.4 23 km E of Point Possession, AlaskaFelt · 6
M 3.0 29 km SW of Hope, AlaskaFelt · 1
M 3.1 16 km SSW of Funny River, AlaskaFelt · 1
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Frequently asked questions
How strong was the 4 km WSW of Point Possession, Alaska earthquake?
Magnitude 3.1 (local (Richter) magnitude), at a depth of 5.8 km. Shallow earthquakes release their energy close to the surface, so they are felt more strongly nearby than a deeper earthquake of the same magnitude.
Exactly when did it happen?
Aug 16, 2026, 04:54 AM (local time at the epicentre — AKDT, UTC-8). In universal time: 2026-08-16 12:54 UTC.
Was it felt?
Felt by 1 person. Felt by a few people at rest, mostly on upper floors.
Was there a tsunami warning?
No tsunami evaluation was flagged for this earthquake.
Which towns are closest to the epicentre?
The closest is Nikiski, 37.3 km SW (population 4,493).
Are earthquakes normal in this area?
8 further events were recorded within 100 km of the epicentre in the last 30 days.
How do I get alerts for the next earthquake here?
Install the free SeismoWatch Android app, draw a box over this area, set a minimum magnitude, and turn alerts on.
About this page
Event data: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) and, in Venezuela, FUNVISIS. Populated places and time zones: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). Preliminary solutions are revised as more observations arrive.