USGS · November 8, 2026
Magnitude 3.5 earthquake near Sterling, Alaska
A magnitude 3.5 earthquake was recorded near 26 km NNW of Cooper Landing, Alaska on Nov 8, 2026, 05:46 AM (local time at the epicentre — AKST, UTC-9), at a depth of about 34.9 km, according to USGS.
USGSFelt by 10 people · community intensity III (weak)Shaking IIIShallow (0–70 km)Automatic solution — subject to revision
Updated 2026-11-08 20:36 UTC
The full record
- Magnitude
- M 3.5 · local (Richter) magnitude
- Location
- 26 km NNW of Cooper Landing, Alaska
- Local time at the epicentre
- Nov 8, 2026, 05:46 AM — AKST, UTC-9
- Time (UTC)
- 2026-11-08 14:46 UTC
- Depth
- 34.9 km · Shallow (0–70 km)
- Coordinates
- 60.690, -150.093
- Felt reports
- Felt by 10 people · community intensity III (weak)
- Estimated shaking
- III · Weak
- Tsunami
- No tsunami evaluation was flagged for this earthquake.
- Significance
- 192 / 1000 · routine event
- Solution quality
- 192 seismic stations used · 48° 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.
Estimated instrumental shaking III (Weak): Felt indoors; hanging objects swing, like a passing truck.
People who reported it described intensity III (Weak): Felt indoors; hanging objects swing, like a passing truck.
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 380,937 within 100 km. Distances are from the epicentre to the town centre.
| Place | Distance | Population |
|---|---|---|
| Sterling | 40.4 km WSW | 5,617 |
| Funny River | 42.1 km WSW | 1,103 |
| Ridgeway | 56.9 km WSW | 2,022 |
| Soldotna | 57.3 km WSW | 4,544 |
| Girdwood | 57.6 km ENE | 2,250 |
| Anchorage | 59.6 km N | 289,600 |
| Nikiski | 65.1 km W | 4,493 |
| Kenai | 65.3 km WSW | 7,661 |
| Elmendorf Air Force Base | 67.8 km NNE | 6,621 |
| Bear Creek | 69.9 km SSE | 1,956 |
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
11 other events within 100 km in the last 30 days.
M 3.1 22 km S of Funny River, Alaska
M 3.0 7 km N of Point Possession, AlaskaFelt · 1
M 4.3 24 km SE of Kasilof, AlaskaFelt · 115Tsunami flagged
M 3.2 29 km WNW of Nikiski, AlaskaFelt · 1
M 3.0 10 km W of Hope, AlaskaFelt · 1
M 3.0 25 km ESE of Kasilof, AlaskaFelt · 1
M 3.5 27 km E of Point Possession, AlaskaFelt · 98
M 3.6 2 km NW of Knik, AlaskaFelt · 485
M 3.1 5 km N of Nikiski, AlaskaFelt · 1
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Frequently asked questions
How strong was the 26 km NNW of Cooper Landing, Alaska earthquake?
Magnitude 3.5 (local (Richter) magnitude), at a depth of 34.9 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?
Nov 8, 2026, 05:46 AM (local time at the epicentre — AKST, UTC-9). In universal time: 2026-11-08 14:46 UTC.
Was it felt?
Felt by 10 people · community intensity III (weak). Felt indoors; hanging objects swing, like a passing truck.
Was there a tsunami warning?
No tsunami evaluation was flagged for this earthquake.
Which towns are closest to the epicentre?
The closest is Sterling, 40.4 km WSW (population 5,617).
Are earthquakes normal in this area?
Yes. The largest earthquake recorded within 200 km since 1960 was magnitude 9.2 (The 1964 Prince William Sound, Alaska Earthquake, 1964), and 11 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.