USGS · September 21, 2026
Magnitude 3.1 earthquake near Homer, Alaska
A magnitude 3.1 earthquake was recorded near 20 km NE of Nikolaevsk, Alaska on Sep 21, 2026, 01:38 AM (local time at the epicentre — AKDT, UTC-8), at a depth of about 45.9 km, according to USGS.
USGSShallow (0–70 km)Automatic solution — subject to revision
Updated 2026-09-21 09:47 UTC
The full record
- Magnitude
- M 3.1 · local (Richter) magnitude
- Location
- 20 km NE of Nikolaevsk, Alaska
- Local time at the epicentre
- Sep 21, 2026, 01:38 AM — AKDT, UTC-8
- Time (UTC)
- 2026-09-21 09:38 UTC
- Depth
- 45.9 km · Shallow (0–70 km)
- Coordinates
- 59.934, -151.328
- Felt reports
- No “Did You Feel It?” reports submitted
- Tsunami
- No tsunami evaluation was flagged for this earthquake.
- Significance
- 148 / 1000 · routine event
- Solution quality
- 120 seismic stations used · 44° azimuthal gap (well-constrained epicentre)
- Review status
- Automatic solution — subject to revision
- 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.
No intensity estimate was published for this event, which is usual for small earthquakes far from populated areas.
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 1,932 people live in towns within 30 km of the epicentre, and 45,187 within 100 km. Distances are from the epicentre to the town centre.
| Place | Distance | Population |
|---|---|---|
| Fritz Creek | 22.1 km S | 1,932 |
| Diamond Ridge | 31.4 km SSW | 1,156 |
| Anchor Point | 33.1 km WSW | 1,930 |
| Homer | 34.7 km SSW | 5,515 |
| Cohoe | 48.3 km N | 1,364 |
| Kalifornsky | 53.9 km N | 7,850 |
| Soldotna | 63.4 km NNE | 4,544 |
| Ridgeway | 67.8 km NNE | 2,022 |
| Kenai | 69.1 km N | 7,661 |
| Funny River | 70.5 km NNE | 1,103 |
Earthquake history in this area
12 earthquakes of magnitude 4.5+ have been recorded within 200 km of this epicentre since 1960, in Alaska.
Other earthquakes near this epicentre
5 other events within 100 km in the last 30 days.
Be first to know about the next earthquake near 20 km NE of Nikolaevsk, Alaska
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Frequently asked questions
How strong was the 20 km NE of Nikolaevsk, Alaska earthquake?
Magnitude 3.1 (local (Richter) magnitude), at a depth of 45.9 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?
Sep 21, 2026, 01:38 AM (local time at the epicentre — AKDT, UTC-8). In universal time: 2026-09-21 09:38 UTC.
Was it felt?
No “Did You Feel It?” reports were submitted for this event. Small earthquakes usually pass unnoticed except very close to the epicentre.
Was there a tsunami warning?
No tsunami evaluation was flagged for this earthquake.
Which towns are closest to the epicentre?
The closest is Fritz Creek, 22.1 km S (population 1,932).
Are earthquakes normal in this area?
Yes. The largest earthquake recorded within 200 km since 1960 was magnitude 7.1 (47 km ESE of Pedro Bay, Alaska, 2016), and 5 further events were recorded within 100 km 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), in Venezuela FUNVISIS and in Brazil the RSBR through the Centro de Sismologia da USP. Populated places and time zones: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). Preliminary solutions are revised as more observations arrive.